Forevergreen
by Brandon Payne
Summary: Sakakicentric. It was to be a wonderful day for Sakaki, until everything changes . . . for eternity.
1. Prologue

It is evening in Tokyo as a Caucasian man with light brown hair brushed back and hazel eyes walks through the Narita Airport's arrival gate. He is wearing a brown bomber jacket over a red sports shirt, black velvety pants with a braided nylon belt, and brown leather shoes. He is somewhat tall with a pleasantly pale complexion and a smooth handsome clean-shaven face. His deep-set eyes are grim yet gentle and seems to show that he has seen much in his life. Far too much. Yet he looks far from old as his face shows no definitive age.

After collecting his luggage, which consists of a dark red suitcase and an unusually long and narrow black plastic case with a shoulder strap, he goes to get his passport straightened away. He speaks fluent Japanese and his voice seems to match his eyes. Later, he leaves the terminal.

"Taxi?" A driver asked.

But the stranger answers by merely flashing the keys to a rental. That being to a utility van as he had specified.

As he drives to the nearest hotel, the stranger reflects upon his reasons for coming here. Intuition. They are rare in his life, but when he did have them, he can't ignore them. They were so strong and so certain that he just might jump off a cliff if it could prove them to be correct. It had to do with something about to happen in two days and that he had to be in a certain place at a certain time. As it always is with intuitions, the details remain elusive.

The next day though he needs to buy a certain thing. Then the day after tomorrow, he needs to do the mysterious reason that he had been compelled to come here for.


	2. Chapter 1

Sakaki gets up to the sound of her alarm clock going off at seven A.M. and turns it off. She sits there in her bed for a moment to clear her mind as she yawns and stretchs, then rubs the corners of her eyes. Maya bounds up onto her lap and greets her with a mew, making her blush and give him an affectionate hug. He is almost fully grown now, and so far nobody else knows that he is a full-blooded Iriomote Mountain Cat.

She gets out of bed and carries him into her small kitchen, where she put food out for him into his dish before going to get ready herself. It has been two years since her high school graduation. She currently attends veterinarian school and lives in a small apartment within a building that is not only the closest to her school, but also accepts pets as well. She also works part-time at a floral shop.

Today is her twentieth birthday and she is going to spend it at Chiyo-chan's Summer House. It being a little early in the year to go there means swimming might be out of the question. Not only will Sakaki be going with Chiyo but also with Yomi, Tomo, Kagura, Osaka, Yukari, and Nyamo. Even Kaorin will be going with them too (or Kaori as she now insisted by). All of them are free for the next two weeks and they intend to spend every day and night together at that place.

The last time all nine of them had been together there was two years ago. Chiyo-chan had only returned a week ago after being gone to the United States for two years. As for the other eight, they certainly did keep in touch as they met on and off, or sometimes all together, during those past two years.

After doing everything that needed to be done, Sakaki leaves with a suitcase in one hand and Maya in the other since he is coming too, making this his first time ever to the Summer House.

Just like before, she is the first one to arrive at Chiyo-chan's house. That being due to Tadakichi-san, Chiyo's Saint Pyrenees, as she can now see him lying out underneath the tree. But he is getting old now and is not as active as he used to be. He is currently ten years old, making him the equivalent of a human in their sixties.

Sakaki pushs the call button at the gate and Chiyo-chan's face fills the screen. She looks a little different now, due to maturity.

"Ah, Sakaki-san, you're here!" She said in her now fading childlike voice.

The gates buzz and slowly opens for Sakaki to enter with Maya before closing behind them once again. A passenger van is in the parking lot. That means all of them will be traveling in one vehicle like they did three years ago. Once at the door, it opens before she can knock. There stands Chiyo-chan, a little older, taller, and more developed. She is now more pretty than cute, and no longer wears her chestnut red hair in pigtails as she just lets it hang down. Sakaki cannot help but feel slightly disappointed over the change in hairstyle, but is not about to tell Chiyo-chan to wear them just to please her.

"Hello, Chiyo-chan," Sakaki smiles as she greets her with a small bow.

"Hello, Sakaki-san, and happy birthday," Chiyo-chan answered happily with a small bow in return. "As usual you're the first one here. I suppose you'll be waiting out underneath the tree with Tadakichi-san?"

"Yes."

Sakaki loads her suitcase into the van before sitting underneath the tree with Tadakichi-san and Maya. The next one to show up is Kaori, looking the same as when she graduated from high school. She is being accompanied by a beautiful Caucasian girl with long blonde hair, blue eyes, and a light complexion. She is as tall as Sakaki and has the same bodily dimensions as her too.

Kaori currently attends Tokyo University, pursuing her Bachelor of Astronomy. Maturity has since refined her, making her more pragmatic about her feelings toward Sakaki. Of course, it has more to do with the fact that she had finally confided her feelings toward the tall strong quiet woman. Sakaki of course told her that she cannot feel that way about her. Naturally, Kaori's reaction was outright devastation. For a while, she had nothing to do with Sakaki. Yet that all changed, as is obvious by her presence. Sakaki stands to greet them properly.

"Hello, Sakaki, and happy birthday," Kaori smiles as she does a respectful bow, with none of the fidgetiness that Sakaki used to unintentionally incite. "I'm glad that we're going together. This is my roommate, Laura Chisholm. Don't worry, she speaks good Japanese. Laura, this is Sakaki."

Sakaki greets her with a polite bow just as Laura does so, albeit awkwardly, along with wishing her a happy birthday.

"So I finally get to meet you," Laura said as she eyes her over. Even her voice sounded similar to Sakaki's. "Kaori told me all about you. And she was right, you are gorgeous."

Sakaki sighs as she blushes deeply.

"Laura and I . . . um . . . also go out together," Kaori said diminutively as she also blushes.

"I bet Kimura-sensai will be devastated when he finds out," Sakaki smirks slightly.

That comment elicits a sigh from Kaori as she glances warily up at Laura, who in turn glances back down at her warily as well.

"Actually," Kaori began somberly, "one day we ran into him and I was finally able to tell him the truth about myself. Then he got excited and asked if he could come over and watch us do it."

"I don't know how any of you could put up with a jackass like that for so long?" Laura added curtly. "Back in the States, someone like him would've never been able to get into any school from the start. Hell, they would've been charged with sexual harassment from the get go."

Yomi and Tomo are next to arrive. Neither of them have changed in their appearance either, though Tomo has since let her hair grow out and Yomi now wears smaller glasses. Tomo attends Police Academy and Yomi is studying to be a dietician. Next to arrive are Kagura and Osaka. They too haven't changed since graduating high school. Kagura is in the swimming finals and Osaka is pursuing an arts degree. Finally comes Yukari and Nyamo. Definitely they haven't changed either, since they're still teachers at that high school. Yukari complains loudly about not being able to drive; with Nyamo loudly countering her that it was her own fault for not taking driving lessons, and is now effectively banned by the courts from ever driving again.

As usual, the greetings go around, along with a happy birthday to Sakaki, and Kaori introducing Laura to all of them. They load their luggage into the back of the van then reassemble together at Yomi's urging. Though Laura stands a little off from them to watch.

"If I may just say before we go," Yomi announced. "We should enjoy the next two weeks together. Because all nine of us might not be together like this for a very long time. Or possibly even never."

"Yomi's right," Kagura said. "We're all busy enough as it is, and the next two weeks are a Godsend. So everything we do, we do it together."

"Does that mean we all have to use the toilet together?" Osaka drawled with a worried look.

"Except that," Kagura said dryly.

"Are you coming with us too, Laura?" Tomo asked.

"Oh no, I have to go home tomorrow. I'm just here to see Kaori off."

"Well, here's to two weeks of goofing off together," Yukari announced as she put her hand out. Everyone else, except Laura, add their hand to the pile.

"Ready?" Nyamo said eagerly. "Let's go." They all cheer in unison as they heave the pile of hands and break away. They file into the van, with Kaori being the last to get in, but not before she and Laura share a tender kiss goodbye, making Tomo whoop and clap as Kagura does a wolf whistle.

"Come on, lover girl, get in before we leave you behind!" Yukari bellowed at her as she repeatedly thumps on the outside of the van's passenger door from where she sits.

Kaori and Laura break away, each with a sadden look and saying a gentle goodbye before Kaori gets into the van. Nyamo starts the engine and drives out of the residence as Laura jogs out after them. Laura stops outside to wave goodbye to the receding van as Kaori returns it through the window with a sad smile. Kaori does not sit next to Sakaki this time. Instead, she sits next to Kagura, who in turn sits next to Sakaki, who in turn sits next to the other window while cradling Maya.

"So, Kaori," Tomo said wryly from just up ahead as she turns to face her, "you're doing that foreign lemon-haired sky-eyed chick, are you?"

"Did you know that one's pubes matches their own hair color?" Kaori answered slickly to Tomo. "I should know because of Laura."

"It figures that all the hair over one's body will be the same color," Tomo answered. "Does that mean you have exotic tastes?" Placing emphasis on the word, tastes.

"Why Tomo," Kaori said in a mocking tone of shock. "I didn't know you were jealous? Why didn't you let me know from the start that you swung my way?"

"Actually, I'll try anything just once," Tomo grinned. "Like with Yomi-"

"You promised not to tell!" Yomi grated from alongside her as she punches Tomo in the shoulder.

"Oh lighten up, yummy," Tomo emphasized the pet name as she playfully shoves her while fondling her breasts, "you know you liked it! You screamed with ecstacy just like that when I-"

"I was drunk and pretending you were a man!" Yomi grated once again as she tries to fight off Tomo's advances.

"Yummy?" Chiyo-chan probed from up ahead of her two wrestling friends, with Osaka sitting alongside her. "That's an English word for delicious."

"I know," Tomo said mischievously while giving Chiyo a devious look as she manages to hold Yomi off. "And she made me yell with ecstacy when she-"

"Could we please talk about something else before I puke!?" Nyamo fumed.

"Yes, let's," Yukari said slyly as she leers at her. "Like the time in college when you ran stark naked through-"

"Something else!" Nyamo shouts with her face turning red.

The conversation quickly turns to other things. Sakaki sometimes joins in, and sometimes remains quiet.

That is when an explosion instantly filled Sakaki's mind. An explosion that assaults her mind and senses. All she can see is every color known to humanity of immense intensity and richness as they swirl and shift seemingly within her eyes. All she can hear is a jumble of sounds of every noise she knows, as if it is all taking place directly inside her ears. She can taste a mixture of intense sweetness, sourness, saltiness, bitterness, and savory. Every smell that she knows now seem to saturate the inside of her nasal cavity. She can feel intense heat, cold, pressure, soft, hard, pain, and pleasure all at once, with the pain rapidly disappearing. She tingles all over too. More than just her skin tingling, she can literally feel it throughout every cell of her being except her hair and nails. With pleasure now a part of the sensations, it feels almost orgastic. She also feels a mixture of intense anger, sorrow, euphoria, and terror all at once, causing neither to dictate how she must react.

All these things happen not only all at once, but with perfect equality too; save for the tingling as it seems to be the backdrop against all this.

Then as suddenly as it had all come, it stops, and everything goes back to normal once again. The sensory assault quickly dissipates, with that tingle staying a little longer before disappearing (much to her brief moment of disappointment). Her emotional state rapidly returns to calm once again. But she now feels bewildered as to what had just happened.

Sakaki also notices that she now feels a sense of fullness to herself. Almost like an awareness of each and every cell that makes up her body. Another new awareness now washes over her. An awareness of past, present, and future as opposed to just the present alone. And why is she distinctively remembering thirteen people out there!? Seven men and six women to be exact! This she has absolute certainty of. She doesn't know who or where they are, other than their genders and that they're out there somewhere.

Throughout it all, however, everyone else still behaved normally as they merely chat away, oblivious to what had just happened.

That is when Sakaki feels as if somebody is staring at her. More than just an odd feeling, she actually feels as if somebody is standing directly alongside her and staring right into her face. She looks out of the window and sees somebody far up on a high hill next to the highway. Moreover, she feels as if they know that she knows. The lone figure is too far away to tell if they're a man or woman, but she can tell that they're staring down at them by the contrast of their face and hair.

"Hey, Sakaki-," Kagura said. But gets abruptly cut short when a loud bang sounds from the front of the van, to be instantly followed by the most improbable things.

The van does a frontal flip as oppose to the usual side or diagonal flip that it might have done. Just as the van gets halfway through its flip, it somehow manages to catch directly upon the cement border, whose purpose is preventing vehicles from going off the cliff. Its front windshield gets caught upon that barrier, causing the glass to get crushed by both the hardness of the barrier and the weight of the van. Nyamo and Yukari are miraculously unscathed since the barrier doesn't penetrate deeply enough to touch them, and the crushed glass falls away from them. But the windshield gets virtually destroyed and effectively pried from the van to be wedged against the barrier, before falling over the other side to rest upon the road.

The van, however, has no such fortune as its momentum keeps propelling it forward to go over the side of the cliff, where it does a free fall into the Pacific Ocean. Flipping halfway so that it strikes the water, bottom first.

From the flip onward, everyone was too stunned to scream as it had all happened so quickly and so violently, causing their thoughts to be violently jarred about, giving them a dreamy sensation. Even their collective expressions were that of being stunned. Throughout it all, Sakaki had managed to hold onto Maya for dear life, as her cat in turn held onto her as well by the use of his claws.

It only finally dawns upon all of them to what had happened when they hit the water. But nobody gets the chance to scream as the interior floods a second afterward.

* * *

Back at Chiyo-chan's home, Tadakichi-san suddenly sits up and howls mournfully. Then he collapses and dies.

* * *

The stranger had driven up to a lookout. There are no other people around. He is looking out over the Pacific Ocean ahead of him over a highway below. It was that odd and rarely used intuition of his that compelled him to come here. That is when a van comes into view and he looks at it for a moment.

He suddenly stiffens as if ready for action as he now stares intently at that van. He now distinctly feels a presence from within it that had not been there a moment ago. A feeling that he is only too familiar with.

Next, he hears a faint burst coming from it and the van suddenly flips off the highway and into the ocean. He is stunned by the manner of the accident. Finally, he snaps out of his bewilderment and hurries back to his rented van then starts the engine. He knows exactly what he needs to do now.

* * *

Sakaki feels as if she is dreaming. She feels the coldness of the water, along with its pressure. Oddly the cold isn't bothering her. She finally snaps out of it as Kagura thrashes violently, accidentally striking her across the face. Yet it doesn't hurt. Kagura is a very strong woman and a blow like that should have been very painful. It had the potential to break her nose, or possibly even her jaw. Sakaki also becomes aware of Maya tearing at her chest as cloth and skin is getting shredded rapidly while bubbles blocked her vision.

Wait a minute . . . ! Why is her mouth filled with salt water . . . but not her nostrils . . . !? And why is it not going down her throat!?

Why is she not craving air!? Sakaki just simply didn't feel so much as the slightest need to breathe! Her heart is pounding rapidly and that is the thing. Her body is using oxygen very rapidly, only she still doesn't feel that need to breathe! She even attempts to inhale through both her mouth and nose, but finds herself unable to do so. Her lungs simply cannot be willed to work!

But most importantly of all . . . why is she still not drowning!?

Sakaki just sits there in total horror, staring at her own hands. Her hair drifting around her. Over and over, those questions scream in her mind. She cannot think of anything else.

That is when she finally notices that it has grown quiet. Too quiet. Sakaki slowly turns her head and her heart skips a beat. She would have screamed if she were still capable of doing so.

Kagura just sits there with her eyes half-closed and rolled up as her mouth hangs slightly open. Her hair swaying gently within the water. The same is true for Kaori and the others.

Sakaki unbuckles her seatbelt and gets up to have a closer look at her friends, gathering her hair into one hand to prevent it from flailing around. Due to the murkiness of the water, she needs to look closely into Kagura and Kaori's faces, then strokes them as an afterthought. Odd how it is that she is morbidly curious to see if her friends are really dead since she is still alive.

Next are Tomo and Yomi, who lost her glasses in the accident. Sakaki looks intently into their faces and even stroking theirs too. She even does the same with Chiyo-chan and Osaka. Though with Chiyo, she kisses her on the forehead. Last of all are Yukari and Nyamo to be stared at and touched.

Sakaki leans over the dashboard and clutches at it with her free hand, bewildered and horrified. Then slowly turns to look back at her friends, just making out their features through the murky water. Each and every one of them, truly dead, with lurid expressions due to their half-closed rolled up eyes and slightly gaping mouths. The current is making them perpetually shift slightly with perfect though macabre unison as their hair flails gently about their heads.

Sakaki shuts her eyes tightly, believing that this is all just a nightmare. Only to open them to find that nothing changed. She even pinches herself, but it doesn't hurt. So she must be dreaming after all! Only why is she not waking up!?

Her face twists with agony. She wanted to wail with anguish, but that means having to get her lungs to work. And being underwater means that you never feel your own tears either.

That is when she notices her jacket, shirt, and brassiere had all been shredded by Maya out of extreme desperation, exposing her impressive breasts. Yet she had distinctively felt her skin getting torn, and yet not so much as a single scratch can be found! And it didn't hurt either!

What about Maya now, she thought hollowly. She returns to search for him and finds him on the floor. She picks him up, wanting to satisfy her curiosity, only to have it satisfied. Releasing her hair, she cradles him with both hands and presses her face into him. All the while she keeps pondering those questions before one simple question replaces them.

Why is she herself still not dead like the rest of them!?

Her question is suddenly interrupted by that feeling once again, causing her to slowly lower Maya to show her blank yet stunned expression. It's that same feeling she had from that lone figure off in the distance. It is coming from the front of the truck where she had just been. For a moment, she doesn't want to turn around, but ends up doing so. Slowly.

A man stands at the bumper without any breathing apparatus, and apparently nothing on. Sakaki lets go of Maya, where he drifts back down, and returns to the front of the van to get a closer look at this strange man. He is a gaijin, a hakujin (Caucasian) to be exact. His expression is grim and he shows no sign of needing to breathe. Is he just like her too!?

That is when he beckons for her to come closer. At first beckoning her with fingers upraised, before turning his hand upside-down to resume the gesture (since that is how the Japanese manually beckon a person to come to them). Sakaki absent mindedly crawls out through the windshield and across the hood, coming to a stop with her face no more than a few inches from his own face. He is not exactly naked as she notices his swimming trunks.

They stare at each other for a moment. Sakaki with a bewildered expression and he with an austere one. She reaches out and touches his face, wondering if he is real. Or if any of this is real for that matter. He in turn also touches her face, gently running his fingers down through her drifting hair to the back of her head.

Then his grip immediately tightens and she now has her face pressed firmly into his shoulder. She feels a cold sliver of metal penetrating her neck. At first, she had been too shocked to fight back, but when she finally tries to struggle, she finds herself getting weaker by the second. And her consciousness also begins deteriorating just as quickly.

* * *

This is not a Highlander crossover. Although I did enjoy watching the movie one time, and have even seen an episode of Highlander: The Raven, I cannot help but to be irritated by the details concerning the immortals. So as a heads up, I apologize if it ends up sounding like a ripoff, so please don't flame me. It is just that I like to imagine better details concerning their immortality, along with a much closer literalness to it as well (die through decapitation? But what about having their head or torso crushed or blown to pieces?).


	3. Chapter 2

Sakaki awakens to warmth and dryness. She feels a soft mattress underneath her and soft cotton sheets against her skin. Plus to that same feeling that stranger had given her. She opens her eyes and gasps with bewilderment to see him staring at her as he stands at the foot of the bed. She clasps the bed sheets to pull them closer, as if to shield herself from him. That is when she notices being stark naked underneath them.

"Don't worry," the man said assuredly in Japanese. "I didn't take advantage of you."

Sakaki looks around. It's daytime, possibly noon, and is inside of a small bedsitting house. No, not a house, a cabin. A black and white wood stove is over along one side of the wall. The soft roar of a fire can be heard from it, along with the odd crackle of wood burning. Wood is stacked along a wall near it, with more wood stacked up near the entrance/exit door. All of the wood is tucked up next to a room, possibly the washroom.

That door has a window on it, and she can see a large tree outside. It blocks much of her view, but she can just make out more trees past it. Yet there are lights upon the ceiling and she does see switches over a counter across from the washroom. Various odds and ends adorn the place. It is upon a wall to one side of her that a set of swords holds her attention a little longer. Both are sabers with one of them having a more intricate pommel, and the other a plainer one.

That's when it all comes back to her about the accident. So it hadn't been a nightmare after all! All of her friends are indeed dead! Her lips tremble as she fights for calm, but tears flow down her cheeks and she cannot stop herself from whimpering. She buries her face into her hands. What happened to her!?

The man studies her for a moment with a sympathetic look. He then walks up to her and bends over to tuck his fingers underneath her chin, forcing her to lower her hands and look up at him. Tears cloud her vision and she fights to keep a calm face.

"You were lucky that I was in the right place at the right time," he cooed somberly once again in Japanese. His eyes now gentle. Yet there is a deep wisdom to them, almost ancient. "We now have a lot in common, you know. What's your name?"

"S-Sakaki Reiko," she answered sheepishly. "Y-You may just call me, Sakaki."

"The name of a Japanese evergreen tree," the stranger mused. "How convenient. How appropriate. My name is John Donald Sky Smith. But you can call me, Don. I took the liberty of washing your clothes and hung them out to dry. Your sneakers are out there too. Unfortunately, your shirt, jacket, and brassiere got shredded beyond repair so I tossed them into the stove."

He then points to that room. "A bath has been prepared for you, so you go and wash up. I can wait."

Sakaki is hesitant on getting out of bed. Yet he already seen her naked, so it becomes a redundant embarrassment for her. Though she still needs to force herself to get out of that bed, which obviously is his since it's the only one in here.

She stands before him, revealing her tall sleek yet naturally strong and bosomed body to him (once again that is). He turns out to be a couple of inches taller than her. Sakaki blushes intensely and makes a pained expression while gasping softly as her eyes keep roving downward. She keeps fidgeting with her arms as if wanting to cover her breasts while huddling in on herself.

"Th-Thank you, D-Don-san," Sakaki stammered sheepishly as she gives him a respectful bow before hurrying toward the bathroom.

It's a simple bathroom, with a white toilet that has no flush tank. A bucket of water is near it, just underneath the yellow counter, meaning that this is for flushing with. Before her is a small oval wooden tub already filled with warm water as tendrils of steam rise from it. The tub in turn lies upon a large rubber tarp. That tub is only big enough to stand up in instead of sitting down into, and it comes up to her knees. Towels and a washcloth lie on the floor near it. Atop of them are soap, shampoo, and a brand new comb and brush. The yellow counter has a pan of water placed upon it, with a simple mirror hanging over it as well.

There is a window up high and she takes a moment to get upon the toilet seat to look out. They are truly within a forest. It consists of tall coniferous trees, along with hills as the cabin is situated alongside one. Just where in Japan is she!?

Sakaki needed to ask afterwards. First off, a bath to wash the salt from her skin and hair. The first thing she wanted to do is wash her very long hair over that tub. She knows it will be problematic to wash it while being in there, or even after bathing herself. As she prepares to do so, she suddenly stops and stares down at her belly upon noticing something extremely odd.

She has no navel.

She rubs the spot where it should have been, but it's as if it had never been there in the first place. The next thing she notices are her hands. All during her high school years, there had been a cat named Kamineko whom she tried to stroke, only to get bitten by for her troubles. Those encounters left scars on her hands. And now those scars are gone, just like her navel.

But after everything that had happened to her, this no longer comes as a surprise to her anymore. She wonders what freak of nature she has now become for being able to survive underwater.

And what of that mysterious foreigner, John Donald Sky Smith!? That was him up there on that cliff looking down. She had actually felt his presence! The next time they met, it was underwater as he was standing there as nonchalantly as if he were on dry land! More to the point, he claimed that they both have something in common now!? It can only mean that he has the answers.

Then the awareness of her friends hit her like a ton of bricks once again, forcing her to pause and fight the grief. She shut her eyes tightly as her mouth tightens and trembles while she whimpers. But she cannot stop the tears. Her friends are all gone now, and she is alone. She will attend their funerals, which will be held as one.

Another realization hit her. How to explain her survival to her parents and the others!? She just can't tell them that she was unable to drown, and a foreigner came along and knocked her out, then whisked her up to his place somewhere in Japan.

And just why did he knock her out in the first place!? The last thing she remembered was him pulling her forward to jam something metal into her neck. It had to have been a syringe filled with a knockout drug. But why would he do that!?

Oh yes, he definitely has to answer a lot of questions.

Sakaki manages to finish washing her hair and gently wrings it out. Hair such as hers cannot simply be ruffled dry as it is too long for that, even though her bangs and short side locks can be. She wraps the towel around her head like a turban and gets into the tub to wash the rest of herself. Afterwards, she gets out and uses another towel to dry off in. Then she lets her hair down and begins fixing it. During that time, she hears the outside door open and close, along with thunking on a bridge. Don must be going to get her clothes, she thought. Because she hears the door opening and closing once again as he enters.

Sakaki stops for a moment in fixing her hair. She tilts her head slightly with a slight furrowing to her brow as a sense of puzzlement overcomes her. Something seems odd about her face as she strokes it. It doesn't look overtly different, just something subtle enough to make her take notice, that's all. But is unable to figure this out and continues fixing her hair.

After she finishes, she wraps the towel that she had dried in around herself and steps out of the bathroom. Don now stands before her, holding her relatively neatly-folded clothes out to her. Amongst them is a yellow shirt.

"They're still damp," he explained. "But at least a shirt of mine in there is dry."

Sakaki takes them and thanks him with a slight bow then returns to the bathroom; heedless of the fact that he had already seen her naked, twice. The shirt is a simple T-shirt and it fits her.

When she emerges, Don now sits at the table directly across from the wood-burning stove with one leg crossed over the other. He, along with his chair, face the wood stove instead of the table.

"Hot chocolate?" He asked pleasantly.

"Uh, okay," she answered softly.

Don gets up as she sits down directly across from him, but facing him with her chair instead. He pours up a cup and sets it down before her, thin steam wafts up from it. Don sits back in his spot in the same manner as he had previously been sitting, and seems to stare at something in the direction of the stove. For a moment, neither venture to say anything, especially Sakaki since she doesn't know what to say to him exactly. How come when the opportunity to ask important questions finally came, that person suddenly found theirself unable to ask them?

"Let me begin by saying something," Don finally said casually without looking at her. "As you were riding in that van with your friends, you felt every sensory perception and emotion all at the exact same time, and with such intensity too. Yet you could still feel a tingle throughout yourself. It was more than just in your skin, it was throughout your entire self."

"And then as suddenly as it had all come, it was all gone once again, and everything went back to normal. Next, you were suddenly aware of each and every cell of your being, along with a new awareness of time. Anotherwords, you became aware of a past, present, and future instead of just the present alone."

"You have also since became aware of the presence of thirteen other people out there in the world: seven men and six women. You just know that they're out there and they're connected to you somehow. I am one of those seven men and you are one of those seven women, making for a total of fourteen people. Each and every one of them, knowing the existence and genders of the other thirteen. Just like you were doing before you went off of the highway and into the ocean with your friends."

"The next thing you realized was that you were not drowning. Water did not go down your throat nor up your nostrils. You did not have so much as even the slightest need to breathe. And yet . . . and yet you could still function. Then I came along and . . . well . . . you know."

"After waking up and doing introductions, I sent you to take a bath. That is when you must have noticed that your navel is gone, along with every other scar or permanent injury that you once bore. All of them, completely gone. No doubt you had been looking into the mirror as you were fixing your hair afterwards. You might have noticed that something was a little bit odd about your face. You did not know what it was, but that something kept tickling at your mind. Perhaps you might have noticed that you . . . oh . . . could no longer put an age to your face?"

And he falls silent once again, all without turning his head to her. Then casually takes another sip without needing to look.

Sakaki had been sitting there listening to him, her astonishment growing by the second. Her eyes and mouth are now wide with shock.

"Yes," she gasped, then quickly stands as she firmly plants her hands upon the table. Given her usually stoic nature, her emotional state is of a restrained intensity. "Yes! That's exactly what happened to me! You know something! Tell me, Don-san! What has happened to me!? Why didn't I drown!? Why didn't I die!?"

"Because just like me, and those other twelve out there," he answered before finally staring at her with that wolfish gaze, "you have been turned into an immortal."

Sakaki feels her perception upon reality stretch as her consciousness seems to fluctuate. Her legs immediately grow weak and she falls to the floor, causing her chair to topple over while striking it on the way down. There she sits staring at her hands as if having suddenly forgotten their purpose. Immortal!? She can never die!? How is that even remotely possible!?

Sakaki closes her eyes, trying to reign in her bewildered thoughts as the effort shows upon her face. She takes a deep breath and quickly stands.

"L-Look, th-thank you for finding me and explaining all this to me, Don-san,"she answered nervously while fidgeting with her hands and darting her eyes around, "but I have to go home and prepare for the funerals of my friends."

She turns and goes to put her shoes back on before opening the door and leaving, not caring that she doesn't know exactly where she is to begin with. Don made no attempt to stop her as he just simply sat there and watched her leave.

Outside, Sakaki takes a moment to look around in order to get her bearings. Already, she begins doubting if this is the right thing to do. Just where is she exactly!? It can't be anywhere near Tokyo, nor any of the other places for that matter. It looks as if she had been taken further inland. Yet the interior is quite mountainous, which made it the reason why the Japanese are generally crammed along the coastlines. But the surrounding mountains look more like low and worn hills than actual mountains.

"The path is over there," Don said as he now stands in the doorway and pointing off to one side. "It's well used, so you can't miss it. And remember: it's left, right, and left."

Sakaki blinks at him for a moment, feeling a little confused that he is making no attempt to stop her. Now that she thought about it, what's a foreigner doing living out in the wilderness of Japan (or what little accessible wilderness there is to begin with)?

"Th-Thank you for helping me, Don-san," she then said as she gives him a slight bow before turning to look for the trail. She finally sees it and begins walking toward it.

"I got one more thing to say," he said, causing her to stop and regard him. She now starts feeling a little irritated with him.

"Welcome to Canada," he finished while stretching his arms out as if to embrace her.

Sakaki stares at him blankly. Surely he must be joking? She thought. Although he doesn't seem the joking type, and it is giving her a gnawing sensation of panic.

"Seriously," Don said with just such an expression as he begins walking toward her. "We are now several thousand miles away from Japan. In a province called Newfoundland to be exact."

A wave of helplessness now crashes upon Sakaki as her heart pounds away. Her face looks on the verge of frowning as her lips twitch. Already, she begins uttering sobbing squeaks as her throat tightens up. Tears roll down her face and she begins trembling, then falls to her knees once again. She stares at the ground through a haze of tears now dripping from her eyes. This time she feels as if she is drowning for real. She is actually thousands of kilometers away in a foreign land!? How could he have smuggled her all of the way out here without getting caught!?

"It's for the better," Don said in a firm but gentle manner as he bends over to stroke her head.

"P-Please take me home!" Sakaki gasped huskily with a wavering tone as she bows deeply before him in humility, pressing her head against the ground. "Please! I'll do anything you want! Just take me home!" She stays in this position.

"And what are you going to tell your family?" Don admonished as he kneels down to speak closely at her, ignoring a potential sexual offering. "What are you going to tell everyone in Japan on television for that matter? They will start asking questions as to how you survived and got all of the way out here."

For a moment, Sakaki doesn't know what to say. Then it comes to her and she quickly looks back up at him teary eyed with a hopeful expression. Taking a moment to sniff and swallow so as to clear her throat.

"I will tell them that I had amnesia and ended up going with you to Canada," she gasped eagerly. "Then my memories came back and I was able to return home!"

"Hey, that's pretty clever," Don mused as he glances away from her for an instance while stroking his chin for that moment. "You can return, mourn your friends, and get on with your life. Very good plan. The simplest plans are always the most successful."

Then gives her that wolfish look.

"But nothing is ever that simple," he stated dourly, "especially where being an immortal is concerned. Even if that accident had never happened and all of your friends lived out the rest of their natural lives, you will still continue to live on. Because being immortal also means that you will never age. Your friends, family, and every other mortal around you will grow old. Then one-by-one they will start to die off. And while all that is going on around you, do you honestly believe that nobody will ever take notice of the fact that you will not be aging? Face it, Sakaki, you have no choice but to accept the fact that accident was the best thing to have ever happened to you. Now everyone believes you're dead. And as far as they will ever be concerned, you tried to swim to shore but drowned and got washed out to sea. So in conclusion, your normal life ended forever the moment you experienced that explosion inside your head. And there was nothing that you could have ever done to have prevented it."

Sakaki had never felt more abnormal than what she is now feeling. It's bad enough that she's too big and just plain uncute for her own comfort, but now this!? This is far worse!

Because she is now truly a freak.

She suddenly takes on a blank expression as her teary eyes glaze over. Something inside her finally snaps.

"Iwannadie," she began droning quickly as she rises to her feet. "Iwannadie, Iwannadie, Iwannadie." Then turns and starts running, all the while babbling that she wants to die. Don quickly follows her.

Sakaki runs through the forest, babbling and laughing maniacally. Her eyes now have an eerie sheen as a small smile graces her face, giving her the look of lunacy. Everything had taken on a fake quality to her as if she is dreaming. At times, she stumbles, but gets back up to continue running. She runs further until she comes upon a large black bear. Perhaps that bear will kill her.

But that bear flees from her before it even stared at her. Either her sudden appearance and maniacal behavior had frightened it. Or perhaps . . . it knows.

"No! Come back and kill me! I wanna die!" She screamed at the retreating bear. Her voice like an icy blast. She keeps screaming that she wants to die with hysteria now as she keeps chasing that bear. But it manages to put a lot of distance between itself and her.

Sakaki comes upon a hill with a sheer cliff facing, looking quite high by some fifty meters (164 feet). That's it! All she needs to do is climb it and jump to her death. She starts climbing, all the while giggling with insane glee as tears run down her face that she will finally be able to die. She is able to put her hands into the right crevices and footholds.

When she finally reaches the top, she looks around for the best spot to jump from. Not far, across from where she already climbed, she finds another cliff facing, only this one goes down this time. Just below are a huge pile of large rocks.

Perfect! She thought. Those will kill me instantly!

Sakaki backs away from the edge to give herself a running start. That is when she sees Don rising up from where she had just climbed.

Her heart skips a beat. He came to stop her, this she felt certain of. She turns and runs as fast as she can toward the edge before he can have the advantage of grabbing her. She leaps as far as her long shapely legs propel her. Sakaki does a graceful dip, as if she were back in high school at the swimming pool. Only she keeps her arms firmly by her sides so that only her head will hit the rocks below. She closes her eyes and feels a sense of release. This certainly being a fall that can kill anybody, especially if they hit headfirst.

And hit those rocks headfirst, she does. A fall that will definitely split a person's skull wide open like a ripe tomato.

But her thoughts don't come to an end. Instead, they only get jarred for a moment.

Not only is her skull unfractured, it doesn't hurt either! Granted, there was a brief moment of the sensation of rocks scraping directly upon it. But it was a sensation that can best be described as being only scraped by insulation foam! Her scalp tingles for a few seconds, before it stops. Then there's the fact that her neck should have been broken, but it isn't at all! All she ends up having for her troubles are temporarily jarred thoughts and the wind knocked out of her.

Sakaki lies there for a moment, gasping and staring up at the sky, feeling stunned with an expression to match. Maybe she didn't fall right! Maybe it wasn't high enough! Then Don comes into view as he looks down at her. He wordlessly waves her aside and she gets up and moves. She watches as he too jumps well away from the cliff, only he falls with his arms spread out with the intention of landing on his front upon those very rocks. A fall that is certain to crush his ribs and rupture his viscera.

He lands with a sickening thud, and for a short while, he doesn't move and just groans. Sakaki gasps slightly while sneering with shock, placing her hand up to her mouth at what she had just witnessed. Then he slowly pushes himself up and stands once again, gasping as if he had only been punched in the stomach. He brushes himself off while sighing deeply, now looking no worse for wear. Sakaki now gapes at him. Don stares at her for a moment with that weighted look.

"You now know that you no longer feel pain," he said casually. "And when you were tingling, it meant that your soft tissues were regenerating tens of thousands of times faster than a mortal can heal. No matter what tissue is damaged or how severely, there will never be so much as the tiniest scars left over. Your skull and neck did not even so much as crack, let alone break. Nor did you even dislocate a disk in your spine. Just as I did not suffer so much as a dislocated hip nor shoulder, let alone so much as a cracked rib."

"The point is, you have now learned two things about being an immortal: we have superfast unlimited powers of regeneration, and our skeletons are indestructible. There is no agent of destruction even remotely powerful enough to damage our skeleton, let alone destroy it. It seems as if our skeleton instantly takes on a counter resistance greater than the potential destruction it's being subjected to. Our joints, jaw, teeth, and spinal disks cannot even be so much as dislocated let alone removed."

"Let me put this into a better perspective by telling you of two things that happened to me back then. The first one happened on July the sixteenth, nineteen forty-five. It was in New Mexico, one of the states of America. I was hiking through a place called Alamogordo. It was nighttime and I knew that it was a military range. Despite the tight security, I still managed to slip through their guard, unintentionally that is. That is when I came across a crane with some odd device suspended from it. As I was staring up at it from directly underneath it, a flash appeared. Well . . . the very next thing that I'm aware of is that I'm flying high through the air after I had just finished regenerating. I must have flown a hundred miles and five miles above the ground before I finally landed, stark naked and completely bald from crown to toe. I also had no nails either, because an immortal's hair and nails in of themselves don't regenerate. I managed to walk to the nearest town where, under the cover of darkness, I broke into a store and stole some clothing. As for that device? It was none other than the first successfully-detonated atomic bomb. The point is that I survived an explosion that was powerful enough, at ground zero, to instantly vaporize the toughest substances known to humanity."

"The second thing that happened to me was when I dunked this arm up to my elbow into a vat of fluoroantimonic acid," as he momentarily holds up his right arm. "You know what that is? It is classified as a superacid because it has a corrosiveness one quintillion, or one billion billion, times greater than that of one hundred percent pure sulphuric acid. I even kept my arm in there for a minute. The acid continued fizzling away because it was dissolving tissue far faster than it could regenerate. When I had finally pulled my arm away, the bones were left unscathed. And the rest is pretty obvious." As he briefly held his right arm up once again.

Sakaki stares at him with tired bewilderment. He survived a direct nuclear explosion and not even a superacid could harm him!? If he survived those, then it only stands to reason that she can also survive such things herself. And he was there in nineteen forty-five!? That was over sixty years ago! He certainly doesn't look that old! Come to think of it, he doesn't look any age.

Just like herself as Don had explained.

"Now let's go back," he said.

Once they return to his cabin, Don removes his shirt, revealing his slender yet heavily-toned physique with nearly no androgenic hair. Like his face, the rest of his skin is smooth and flawless. He looks as if he never had any exposure to sunlight in his entire life (since being able to regenerate very rapidly means not being able to tan, let alone sunburn, in the first place) but it's a pleasant paleness. Plus, he has no navel either.

"Do your hair up," Don said. "There's some string over there on the windowsill. Oh, and you're going to have to remove that shirt too, and somehow keep your breasts in place. Perhaps some bandage might help. I think that I may have a long and thick piece of cloth for that."

Sakaki does as she was told as she first ties her hair back, doubling it up to reduce its length then tying it once again. Don now stands before her. In one hand, he has a long wide piece of brown cloth, and clip pins in the other.

"You know what you have to do," he said with a tone of mixed humor and somberness.

Sakaki blushes intensely once again, then removes the shirt. He tells her to raise her arms and she complies. Don carefully rolls the cloth around her chest, gradually covering her breasts. He rolls up and down, pinning it in places here and there. It is not an easy task to do. Plus, Sakaki had to keep holding her arms above her head, as she now clasps both of her elbows in the effort to keep them raised. Throughout it all, her face seems to glow red and seemingly radiated heat. Not once does he fondle her though (at least not intentionally).

Finally it gets finished and her breasts are now well covered and held snugly in place.

"There," Don said proudly, "that should do it."

Next, he takes down the sabers and hands the simpler one to her, making the more elaborate one his own, then motions for her to follow.

As they return outside, Sakaki stares intently at that blade. She purses her lips slightly and turns it around to point it at her stomach. The tip now pricking her skin. With a firmer tightening of her lips, she plunges the blade all the way through and up to the hilt, causing the tip to come out through her back. Sakaki feels the cold steel sliding all the way through, sliding along her vertebra as opposed to scraping it. Where her vertebra is concerned, it feels as if the blade were made of glass and her bones of diamond.

Already she can feel that tingling sensation around the blade, just as Don had explained. As for Don, he had been watching this, then slowly shook his head.

"After everything that had happened and you've heard," he said dryly, "do you still truly believe that you will die by sticking a blade through yourself?"

Sakaki pulls the blade out, causing a bit of blood to spurt before it stops completely. She watches with a mixture of both horror and fascination as a potentially fatal wound shrinks and completely disappears in several seconds. The tingling finally stops.

"See, I told you," Don replied.

But she next plunges the blade fully through the side of her throat to make it stick out through the other side; effectively cutting muscle tissue as she feels it slide over her vertebra, but with the blade facing outward. As if believing that this just might kill her if she does it this way. Yet that immediate tingling now shows her otherwise.

With one quick yank, Sakaki wretches the blade out through her throat, slitting it wide open from ear to ear to sever not only muscle tissue but her trachea, jugular veins, and carotid arteries too. Her head flops backwards uncontrollably. This time, there is a quick spurt of a twin stream of blood.

But the bleeding ends almost as quickly as it had started. What should have been an absolutely fatal wound disappears almost as quickly as the wound she had made through her stomach, leaving no trace. Though her blood now stains cloth and skin alike.

Sakaki drops her sword and falls to her knees, burying her face into her hands. Don sighs as he walks up to her and strokes her hair.

"I guess for you to truly understand," he said in an empathetic tone, "is if you were to stand next to a nuclear bomb as it goes off, or fall into a vat of superacid." Adding sarcasm there.

"I don't understand, Don-san!" Sakaki wailed up at him. Her pained expression making her look so pitiful and vulnerable. "Are we cursed!?"

"I sometimes wonder the same thing myself," he answered as he looks off with a wince. "Maybe it's a part of God's plan or something. I don't know and I probably never will."

Don remains silent for a moment as if gazing at something far away. Then he looks back down at her once again with that look. "Now . . . stand up."

Sakaki does so.

"I will now show you the most important thing about our kind," Don said somberly as he continues giving her that look. "Just stand there like that."

And he stabs her through the stomach. That is when Sakaki feels different.

"Try to move," Don said as he pulls his sword out.

Sakaki does so. Or better still, tries to do so. She can't move! Nor twitch, blink, nor even move her eyes for that matter! She can't even breath, let alone grunt! And never mind talking! It feels as if she had been turned to stone! And even if she could look down, she would have ended up noticing that the wound Don had given her is not regenerating, nor bleeding for that matter!

The next thing Don does is reposition her sword-wielding arm, needing to put considerable effort into doing this as she seems to be a corpse well into the stage of rigor mortis. Because of this factor, her arm easily stays in that new position.

Don next raises his sword high and hacks her arm off with one quick clean stroke.

* * *

**Note:**

**There really is such a thing as fluoroantimonic acid. AND IT REALLY IS THAT CORROSIVE! And if you haven't already figured it out by now, Don's physical description is inspired by Christopher Lambert's.**


	4. Chapter 3

Even though Sakaki is still like a statue, she is still aware of each and every thought and feeling. She distinctively felt his sword chop through her arm in one clean and easy stroke up near her shoulder. She heard her sword clatter on the ground. Again, she has yet to move, or even experience a tingling sensation for that matter.

Without warning, she can move once again, causing her to flinch in the effort to catch her balance. Her wounds now tingle and she at first looks to the one in her stomach to see it rapidly disappearing, then to the stump of her arm. She watches with shock as her arm begins growing back at a rate of one cubic inch per second.

Sakaki is stunned. Didn't Don just say that as an immortal, her skeleton is indestructible!? She continues to watch in fascination as more of her arm continues growing back. Soon, her hand begins reforming and next her fingers. Finally it is complete, although her fingernails are still missing. But like Don had just explained, those will take time to grow back.

"I-I don't understand, Don-san! What just happened!?" Sakaki gasped with a bewildered expression, flexing her new hand while stroking her new arm. "And where's my arm!?" As she looks around for it, but seeing only the sword she had held.

"It vanished the moment it got hacked off. The same thing would have happened if I had hacked off a leg or even a piece of flesh. That is what happens to an immortal if they're ever pierced deeply anywhere through their immediate torso. We simply call it, freezing, and it lasts for ten seconds. During that time, the indestructibility of the skeleton is suppressed, along with the ability to regenerate, and the vital signs as well. That's why no blood spurted out of your wounds, and you were not breathing. Yet you were still perfectly aware."

"C-Could I have died like that!?" Sakaki asked in that childlike wonderment. A hint of hope now crossing her tone as it glints in her eyes.

"If I had really wanted to," Don answered, "I could have sliced you in half anywhere between your crown or groin, instead of just slicing off one of your limbs."

"So that would've killed me!" This time with a touch of eagerness in her tone.

"Vanquished would be a better word."

"Vanquished?"

"Meaning, you would have died, vanishing instantly like your severed arm. All that would have been left of you is what you're wearing. Hence the use of the term, vanquished, as opposed to just kill or die; because death put into that context infers leaving a corpse afterwards. But just as you had just done to yourself, an immortal cannot freeze their self. Nor can a mortal freeze an immortal. So really, the only thing that can freeze an immortal is another immortal, in order to set them up to be vanquished. Because then, anyone or anything can vanquish a frozen immortal."

A ray of hope shines in Sakaki's eyes over this revelation. So her immortality is not absolute! She can still die, just that it took a simple yet extreme measure to do so. She cannot help but to make a slight expression of eagerness over this.

"I know what you're thinking," Don said assertively with that look once again. "I can see it in your eyes, and your expression is beginning to betray you. You're thinking that if you begged me enough, I will vanquish you. Well, let me tell you right now: it's not going to happen. We are both now in the most unique situation ever. For me, it's meeting a newly minted immortal. For you, it's the opportunity to learn about your immortality and be guided by one who has experience with this. So vanquishing you would be like finding a suitcase full of one million dollars of actual money and burning it all."

Sakaki remains silent for a moment. Her bottom lip trembling from outrage and helplessness.

"Any of those other immortals out there might agree to vanquish me," she then said curtly.

"Oh yes, definitely. I should know," Don agreed wholeheartedly. "That's why I want to teach you sword lessons. To defend yourself against other immortals who will want to vanquish you. Which in turn, means that you will have to vanquish them instead. But where will you find them? Chances are you might not cross paths with any of them for an extremely long time. You are the fifth immortal that I have ever met in my lifetime. Now . . . pick up that sword."

Sakaki moves to do so with her new arm, slowly, reluctantly, then stands once again at that same pace as she continues staring at it. Finally, a cold and determined expression crosses her face and she drops that sword, then folds her arms while giving Don that expression.

"And what if I don't want to learn?" Her tone matching her expression.

Don sighs as he shrugs. "Hey, I can't make you accept your immortality," he said in an offhanded way. "Hell, I can't even make you learn how to sword fight. But I can tell you that you're still grieving over your friends. You feel guilty that they all died and you didn't die with them, and at the same time overwhelmed by experiencing too much out of the ordinary too quickly. But you will get over it and move on, accepting your immortality in the process."

The intense grief begins welling back up in Sakaki like a slowly building fountain. She begins shuddering and sobbing lightly as more tears trickle down her cheeks. This time, her face twists from grief and she falls to her knees with her arms spread wide.

"Vanquish me!" She screeched with icy despair. "Please, I beg you! I can't stand this misery! I want to die!"

"No!" Don stated firmly with that burning gaze.

This time, rage mixes in with her grief as it comes into her twisted expression. Anyone else would have been frightened by her. Attractive people often have the most lurid expressions when feeling extreme anger or sorrow. She looks down at her sword and picks it up once again, snatched to be exact.

"Then I will make you vanquish me!" Sakaki screeched in a tone like ice water as she threatens to stab him.

Don glares at her for a moment, then drops his sword and lets his arms hang at his sides.

"Do it," he said in a soft firm tone and look. "Go ahead. I have lived long enough. And then you can you make your way back home again. Who knows, perhaps you'll be lucky enough to cross paths with an immortal who will gladly vanquish you. Although that's not likely. More to the point though, you make it back to Japan and tell them that story you just gave me a while ago. Everyone accepts this and life goes on. Maybe you will even get married, but don't expect to have any children either, because being one of us also means being sterile. But I suppose you can still adopt or even marry some guy who has children from a previous marriage. But when the time comes, you will have to leave them before they notice you're not aging. Maybe you will even share your secret with them, and to those whom you trust enough not to go blabbing this around."

"Yet as they grow increasingly older, you can pass your husband off as your father, and later your grandfather, then your great-grandfather until he dies. With your children, you can pass them off as your siblings, then as parents, then grandparents, and later still great grandparents until they die. But what about their own children? Or their children's children? And so on? And so forth? How will you maintain a relationship with any of them? The answer is you won't. Because to be immortal is to be alone."

"So go ahead," as he spread his hands wide without lifting his arms. "Run your blade through me. I won't stop you. Then aim for my neck since it's the easiest place to chop through. You will even get to take my essence and increase your physical and mental attributes."

Sakaki just stands there listening to everything that he had said. Her tear-streaked face twisting from rage and grief over his stinging words. She feels as if ice water is running through her veins and shakes with each ragged gasp she makes. Cold fire seems to burn in her eyes.

Slowly, tentatively, she raises the blade and finally presses the tip against his chest, all the while expecting him to grab it and pull it away. Don keeps glaring at her but doesn't move, except to blink, as Sakaki ever so carefully keeps bearing down on the tip against his skin.

With an icy snarl, she savagely stabs him deeply through his chest and quickly pulls the blade back out. She now feels as what can only be best described as an invisible tube getting shoved into her from Don, who is now frozen as he no longer blinks and the wound doesn't regenerate. While shaking and sobbing as tears flow down her pained face, Sakaki winds up to chop through his neck. All she needs to do is put as much strength into her swing and it will be over for him. She is a pretty strong woman to begin with so it mightn't be a problem.

But she can't do it. She just cannot bring herself to kill someone who is only trying to help her.

She drops the sword and collapses into a heap, then curls in on herself, wailing from a grief that's like a raging blizzard. She might not feel physical pain but that still doesn't mean that she cannot feel mental pain. That feeling of an invisible tube jammed into her suddenly vanishes.

Don is now able to move once again and he kneels to stroke her hair, even lifting her to embrace her. Sakaki latches onto him and buries her face into his chest, wailing all of her frustration out into him. She has never felt so helpless in her entire life.

"I know only too well what you're feeling," he whispered in her ear. "When you and your friends went off the road and into the ocean, you discovered just how different you had become. You're frightened, lonely, and confused. And all because it's not fair. You just suddenly had all this thrusted upon you when you had that experience and nobody even asked your permission first. It was the same for me too. Nobody came to me and asked me if I wanted to become an immortal, it just happened. I understand what it's like to lose everyone and everything precious to you. I'm more alone than you can ever imagine. Let me help you, Sakaki Reiko. Let me be your guide. Let me teach you how to defend yourself against any other immortal that might try to vanquish you for your essence."

They break their embrace and Sakaki looks up at him. Her eyes expressing her turmoil, along with her defeat.

"S-So be it," she whispered in defeat. "Don-kun."

"Tell you what," Don said tenderly with a soft expression while rising and helping Sakaki up. "You can take it easy for awhile until you have adjusted. Nobody can clear their head in a short time. Now let's have something to eat since it's close to suppertime. I'm a great cook. In the meantime, I will tell you more about being an immortal. If you have any questions about it, don't hesitate to ask."

"Why is it that neither you nor I have a navel?" Sakaki asked. "Is it the same for the others too?"

"Something that most people have never considered is that the navel is just as much a scar as any other healed gash or third-degree burn. It's what's left over after the umbilical cord is cut off after one is born. So the answer's pretty obvious."

"And what was that you were saying about essence?"

"It's something that all immortals have. It builds up in us over our lives, but at an extremely slow pace. It magnifies our physical and mental attributes. Physically, we become stronger, faster, tougher, and our senses become sharper. Mentally, our intelligence, memory, perception, and other facilities become sharper as well. The more essence that accumulates, the greater our attributes become. In regards to physical attributes, we have to keep our concentration in order to augment them. It's like tensing a muscle if you will. Any break in our concentration and it stops. Now with our mental attributes, there is no need for that. They will be automatically and permanently increased. When an immortal vanquishes another immortal, they will end up absorbing all of the essence that slain immortal had ever accumulated, thus acquiring a permanent increase in the amount of their own essence."

"Chi," Sakaki mused.

"Yeah, that can be another name for it too."

"So other than another immortal stabbing us to freeze us, so that they can chop us in half," Sakaki asked in a childlike manner, "we truly cannot die and will live forever!?"

"Yes, exactly," Don answered. "We cannot even lose consciousness from injuries, let alone be killed by them. It's also pretty obvious with water as you had just experienced. We cannot be suffocated and will only go into suspended animation if we are not directly surrounded by oxygen, be it in the form of air or water. We are completely immune to disease and other undesirable anomalies. We cannot die from starvation, dehydration, nor exhaustion; yet we can still suffer their effects. Heat and cold don't bother us, yet we can still feel them. Drugs don't affect us either. But when it comes to poisons, the most potent ones can affect us, except only to make us ill or unconscious. Just like what I had injected into you."

"I've been meaning to ask you about that, what did you inject into me!?"

"I used a mixture of sodium thiopental and potassium chloride. While it does have its medicinal uses in minute quantities, larger doses are used for lethal injections. I injected enough into you to keep you unconscious for several hours. It was enough kill ten mortal men."

"Just how did you get me out of Japan and into Canada without me being discovered or my waking up!?"

"A simple yet complex task. Time was of the essence here because at any moment somebody could come driving by and see the windshield and glass on the pavement. After carrying you ashore where my van was parked, I quickly put you inside. Next, I dried off and got dressed. Then, without drying you off, I folded you over with your knees pressed against your chest and stuffed you into two garbage bags, each pulled over the opposite ends to form a seal. Then bound you with straps to keep you in that position. Finally, I stuffed you into a waist-high foam-lined vase that was two feet in diameter, complete with a lid and nestled within a well-lined crate and sealed the lid with a sealant. Then put the crate's lid back on and screwed it down. I didn't have to worry about you waking up since you were not going to revive unless there was air or water directly surrounding you. That was why I stuffed you into those garbage bags."

"Once I arrived at the airport, I had you loaded onto a courier flight to Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. I then took the next plane to follow, arriving at roughly the same time as the courier plane did. I then had you loaded onto my truck and drove you up here. I opened the crate and took you out and carried you up here, vase and all. Next, I broke open the vase to release you. After freeing you from the bindings and the bags, I removed your clothes, dried you off, then put you in my bed. You woke up six hours later."

Sakaki is dumbfounded by the story. "B-But the vase could have been checked by security! I could have been lost!"

"Yes, you could've gotten lost and that would have probably been it," Don answered casually. "But you didn't. And where security was concerned, they understood that there was nothing but foam that filled a five-hundred thousand-dollar vase to give it solidity so that it would not shatter easily. That would be roughly fifty million yens."

"F-Fifty million yens!?" Sakaki gasped. "Y-You used a fifty million yen vase then deliberately broke it!?"

"It had to be done," Don explained. "If I had used a cheap one, they would have checked it for contraband. And the lid had to be permanently sealed too. So that it could give the illusion that I valued it highly enough not to use it for nefarious purposes that would result in it getting broken open."

Sakaki understands, in a manner. Yet what amazes her the most is the fact that he had just so casually took her out of her country. Then another question comes to mind.

"How long have I been out?"

"Two days."

Sakaki blinks over that revelation. It's not a whole lot, just something that elicits cool wonderment from her.

"H-How does one get to become an immortal in the first place?"

"Well, it can't be biological simply because were sterile," Don answered earnestly, "though I never had my DNA tested for fear that they might find something odd in it. What is even more odd is that there always seems to be fourteen of us, seven men and seven women equally. Whenever one of us is vanquished, another of the same gender is replaced immediately afterwards. That is what had happened to an immortal woman after having been vanquished by another immortal, man or woman, and you seemed to have been the right person at the right time."

"So what you're saying is that if I and my friends had left earlier that day and that accident had happened, I would've died!?" Sakaki stated with a touch of bewilderment. There had been a discussion between her and her friends about leaving the day before her birthday. But that was struck down in favor of going on her birthday instead. And she approved of it before the others voiced their approvals afterwards.

"Who knows?" Don answered with a mere shrug, then looks away for a moment and points as if at something distant. "But what I do know is that two days ago was your twentieth birthday. And how would I know such a thing? It's because immortality is activated at the very second that marks when that person had been born twenty years ago."

Sakaki closes her eyes as she sighs with frustration. Such a single moment in time separated her from death or eternal life!? And all because two immortals, one of them a woman, had crossed paths beforehand and dueled!? If either immortal had been delayed (or that woman had triumphed) then she herself would not be here. This revelation now makes her feel more humble.

Back in the cabin, a supper of moose meat, onions, and mushrooms is prepared. To drink is fruit punch. Sakaki had not used Western utensils for quite some time and fumbles with them for a bit, but she's not about to ask for help or that might make her lose face. And she had already lost enough face today with her outbursts of grief and hysteria.

"I had the same problem with chopsticks," Don chuckled. "When I first used them, I ended up nearly causing an international disaster. It was when I was dining with Tokugawa Ieyasu. I tried to pick up a cube of venison with it and it just flew from my sticks and across the table, then down into his wife's kimono. Well, he was livid and threatened to have my head cut off. Fortunately after much profuse apologizing and kowtowing, he changed his mind. Come to think of it, it may have helped influence his disdain for Europeans. Because you must have been pretty much taught about what the Tokugawa Shoguns ended up doing."

Sakaki pauses in her task of eating and blinks with amazement. He had actually dined with Tokugawa Ieyasu and slighted him!? That shogun had lived during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century!

"Just exactly how old are you, Don-kun!?"

"Ah, a better question to ask me is how long I've been immortal. But I will answer one thousand and four hundred years old."

Sakaki gapes with astonishment as she lowers her fork and knife. He has lived for fourteen hundred years!? No wonder his eyes behold such wisdom and hardness!

"What's it like!?" She gasped. "Living to be that old!? The things you have seen and heard! The experiences you partook in! You clearly must have had so many adventures during your long life!"

Don took a deep breath as he collects his thoughts.

"Oh, that I have, Sakaki, that I have," he finally answered earnestly with repeated nods. "But as for what it's like? That is extremely complicated. On one hand, you get to wake up and wonder what each and every day is going to be like. On the other hand, it seems to be the same old things. All of those historical moments in history may sound exciting, but let me tell you now. They didn't seem so exciting to me at that time. Looking back, I was just glad that they passed. Yet at the same time, I feel proud that I was there to bear witness to all of the changes that had ever come to pass."

"What conclusions have you reached about the world during your long life upon it, Don-kun?" Sakaki asked.

"I am able to come to the conclusion about three things: some things change for the better; some things change for the worst; and some things never change, be it for better or worse. There is better nutrition, better clothing, better health care, better hygiene, longer life spans, quicker transportation, quicker communication, greater access to knowledge, better building materials, better infrastructures, better respect for human beings and other life forms, and less power concentrated in the hands of the few."

"On the other hand, mortals seem to have traded one set of problems for another. There is an increase in obesity and other health problems because of gluttony and a lack of exercise; less appreciation for what they have; an increase in allergies when they were unknown in my day; more widespread environmental degradation; mortals having to deal with the aging process since most of them didn't live long enough to celebrate their fiftieth birthday until the late nineteen century; a whole new slew of diseases cropping up; and greater social and political instability that can lead to greater consequences since they will now involve the whole world."

"But above it all, people still love, hate, hope, despair, share, and hoard. The point of it all is that very little is black and white. And even what all people could agree on to be a black and white issue, has greyness lapping at its shores. Some people say that it is a thin grey line that marks reality, but the truth is that line is as vast as the universe. And Earth is in the middle of it."

Sakaki muses over his answer. It makes so much sense.

"My biggest problem is hiding," Don said. "I can only live in a specific place temporarily, then I must move on. Far away, preferably. I have to change my name. The name I have given you is a name that I currently go by. Although I should point out that my abbreviated name which is spelt D-o-n is actually a corruption of a now lost Gaelic name that was spelt D-o-w-h-n, because I'm originally Irish. Then there is the fact that I might end up bumping into someone I remember from long ago. That happened to me one time. I bumped into a woman that I had left fifty years ago. Fortunately, she didn't recognize me, other than to say that I reminded her of someone. But I knew who she was."

"But the worst thing of all is that it's getting increasingly difficult to hide more effectively. Technically, it should be easier for me to hide in the world today than back then, simply because there are more people out there now. Literally though, it's getting more difficult because of the need for the governments to know about each and every person within their borders. One time, I could just pull up stakes and live somewhere else without the need for identification. Then along came birth certificates and passports and I began to simply forge a new one whenever I moved on. Up until recently, a birth certificate was all you needed to get a passport. Today, you need several pieces of identification. But in this day and age now, everything is computerized. No more needing to dig through a pile of old documents in some backroom to find something on you. Just type in the name and bingo, you're found. Now retinal and face scanners are becoming more popular, especially at airports, making the process even more quicker. One of these days, I'm going to have a Black Ops team show up at my door and attempt to take me prisoner. And all because someone in their department ends up discovering that Don Smith was once Don Reno from fifty years ago."

"I can't imagine what that must be like," Sakaki said softly.

"You're going to be experiencing the same thing too, and it will be even tougher for you. I have almost fourteen hundred years of experience at staying one step ahead of being discovered. It's because I was able to see the coming advances and adapted quickly to them. You on the other hand will have to build yourself upon the advancements that you have been born into. An extremely difficult task, but not an impossible one."

"Could you help me with that?"

"Yes I can."

Sakaki resumes her eating, having recovered her ease of using Western utensils once again.

"What is the story of you discovering your immortality, Don-kun?" She suddenly asked before putting a forkload of meat into her mouth.

Don nods thoughtfully as his lips crook slightly.

"I figured that you would be curious about that," he answered fatalistically. "The circumstances were a little bit different for me . . . and more painful too. I was born in Ireland, in the Year of our Lord, six hundred and seven in a village called Ath Cliath, just northwest of a monastery called Duiblinn. For the first twenty years of my life, everything was relatively normal. Until I became an immortal. It was on May the twentieth at 5:18 A.M. That is another thing about being an immortal. You will always know the moment, down to the exact second, when you became one with each and every year that passes, and will know how many years through it."

"To continue, I was awakened by the usual experience and discovered the usual things. I took great pains to keep it a secret, even from the woman I had married the day I awoke to my new immortality. I was able to keep it secret for almost a year. But then it all came crashing down."


	5. Chapter 4

**The following names are in Gaelic and would be pronounced as the following (or at least suspected of being pronounced as such.):**

**Dowhn Don**

**Deirdre Deerdra**

**Beraidh Bard**

**McEleon Mc-on**

* * *

_Ireland, 628 A.D._

_It is a completely clear day. A rarity given the fact that fog and rain frequent the Emerald Isle. Such a day like this is only possible with an easterly, since one is blowing directly from Angleland where most of the rain had fallen. With spring still two weeks away, it already feels as if it's the middle of it. Irish winters are usually mild, with snow not falling until the dead of winter and only as a light dusting that may last just a day or two. But spring is early this year, even by Irish standards._

_Dowhn is tending to his sheep on a grassy hill that overlooks his village, Ath Cliath. Just to the southeast is the monastery of Duiblinn, both overlooking the Liffy and Poddle Rivers, swollen from last night's tempest as they empty into the vast Irish Sea. The large and dark tidal pool from where the monastery got its name can be seen near the shore._

_But his thoughts are not upon what he's looking at. They are upon what had happened almost a year ago on both his birthday and wedding day all rolled into one. In fact, it has always been on his mind since then._

_He awoke to a most weird incident of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and sensations. Among them, intense emotions. And then they were gone. He got up since it had been close to doing so. It was then that he discovered that the little toe he had lost several years ago to a wood cutting accident had grown back, and his navel was gone too._

_During that time came those offhanded comments from the others as to how he looked different somehow. As if that wasn't bad enough, any wounds he acquired ended up healing far too quickly and too well before his very eyes. Last month, he had cut his hand on a plow. It was a simple shallow cut but it healed, no disappeared, in a virtual instance; when it should have taken a week to do so and should have left a faint scar afterwards. Moreover, it didn't hurt._

_Fortunately, nobody was around to bear witness to this. Around other people, however, he always kept his shirt on as much as possible, with the waistband of his trousers snugly up to his waist._

_Also, he started "remembering" thirteen other people that are somehow like him somewhere out there in the world: six men and seven women._

_How long can he keep this hidden!? Yet so what if he does show them the miracle that had happened to him? But all of those sermons that St. Beraidh, the Abbot of Duiblinn, gave about Satan scared him into believing that it's the work of the Devil. He even had nightmares about the red-skinned cloven-hoofed creature laughing and taunting him. Sometimes, those nightmares turned into everyone attacking him, accusing him of being in league with the Devil. So he struggled to keep all this a secret, and continues doing so to this very day. Even from his wife, Deirdre._

_Dowhn's thoughts are broken by a familiar figure coming up the hill toward him. It is Deirdre, bearing a warm smile while carrying a whicker basket that predictably contains lunch. He smiles back as he feels a warm feeling in his chest. She is thirteen years old and her birthday is also the same day as his own. That was the whole reason why they got married on their mutual birthdays in the first place: each wanted to be a birthday gift to the other. She is a well-proportioned girl, with scarlet hair coming down to her waist, which she keeps tucked underneath a slim bonnet. She is also wearing a wide hat to protect her pale complexion. Her large blue eyes radiate a strong gentleness and she has thick pinkish lips._

_"So I take it that my usual is in there?" Dowhn said slyly to her when she reaches him._

_"And what if it is not?" Deirdre retorted playfully._

_Dowhn lowers his head with a fake sigh. "Then I fear," he answered slowly with mock seriousness, then quickly raises his head with a wide-eyed mischievous look, "that I will have to paddle your bottom."_

_"Well if you're going to be that way," Deirdre answered in mock outrage, then turns and hurries away._

_"That's it! You're in for it now!" Dowhn yelled in mock anger as he starts after her._

_The two of them laugh and whoop as he chases her. Deirdre makes no real effort to get away from him and he wraps his arms around her, lifting her off her feet. She squeals with delight as he sweeps her up into his arms and swings her around. They kiss deeply before pulling away and sitting upon the grass. She uncovers her whicker basket to reveal rye bread, cheese, an apple, and a corked ceramic jar of goats' milk. Dowhn begins eating._

_"You make the best rye bread and cheese ever," he complemented her after taking a bite of both._

_"So I've been told by the neighbors."_

_"They speak the truth."_

_Deirdre turns away with a now subdued expression. "Would they also be speaking the truth about my being cursed to be barren?" Her tone matching her expression. "It has been almost a year since we married and I still have yet to get with child."_

_No sooner had she said that before Dowhn gives her a hard stare and looks as if wanting to spit out what he is chewing._

_"Don't you ever go believing such foolishness!" He finally snapped. "I may be the one who is cursed here and not you!"_

_"Why would you believe that?"_

_Dowhn takes a deep breath. Must he tell her about what he has kept hidden from her all this time! No, he is still too scared of what might happen._

_"Well," he began to answer carefully as his mind rushes for an excuse, "my mother told me that I was born two years after she and my father were married. And you know what? People were making the same claims about her back then too. So maybe it has to do with me since my mother had that same trouble."_

_"I never thought of it that way," Deirdre mused as she turns away._

_The rest of the day remains uneventful as everyone tends to their duties. As evening sets in, everyone begins returning to Ath Cliath. Dowhn leads his flock of sheep back to their pen, with Deirdre in the back to prevent any from straying. One of their neighbors has a bow and arrow in hand and he is taking aim at a piece of wood that he had set up._

_"Mark, you great fool," a woman shouted at the man, "don't be target practicing like that! You'll end up shafting someone!"_

_No sooner did she finish saying that before the arrow let loose from Mark's bow and flies up into the air, missing the target entirely. It arches through the air toward Dowhn, who just stares absent-mindedly at it. The arrow plunges through his chest, but it doesn't hurt. Though he can feel it puncturing his heart. Already he can feel that tingling sensation within his chest around the wound._

_An immediate scream sounds from Deirdre, along with shouts of horror from the witnesses. Dowhn just stands there in utter shock, not believing what had just happened to him. Everyone gathers around him._

_Deirdre pushes her way through the crowd and now embraces Dowhn._

_"Dowhn, are you okay!?" She screamed, then fiddles with the shaft._

_"No," he yelled as he pushes her away then darts a wild-eyed look around. "No! You don't need to see this! You don't need to see this!" His hysteria increasing by the second._

_The fact that any other person would have since fallen down and withered in agony, and ultimately died, begins to catch on with the crowd, causing them to fall silent with hushed remarks of shock. Their numbers begin rising, along with the talk of how Dowhn had accidently got shot with an arrow. Before long, everyone in the village is now gathered around Dowhn._

_St. Beraidh, the Abbot of Duiblinn, is making his way up to the crowd, followed closely by a group of monks. They wear unrelieved black robes with hoods. Underneath those hoods, their hair is tonsured like all Irish monks. It means that only the front of their heads are shaved from ear to ear. St. Beraidh has his hood pulled back to reveal dark hair and flinty, grey eyes that make him look all the more austere. Those in the back of the crowd are quick to notice them and start spreading the word for everyone to make way._

_With a path now made, the Abbot walks up to Dowhn with a grim yet bemused expression. Dowhn feels like fleeing in terror. St. Beraidh is the kind of a man that gives others a sense that he can strike them dead with a stare. Once he reaches Dowhn, he stares at the arrow silently, even stroking it for a moment._

_"What is this!?" He sneered with a rasp._

_"An arrow stuck in my body!" Dowhn quickly answered with a dread tone. "Tell me, Abbot Beraidh, is this the grace of God!?"_

_The Abbot remains silent for a moment. "The Devil can also work miracles too, my son," he finally answered with a severe tone. "Who knows what sort of work might be done here today."_

_He put his fingers in the hole made by the arrow and quickly rips Dowhn's tunic wide open, pulling it back to bare most of his torso. The Abbot next takes a firm hold of the arrow and pulls it out of Dowhn's chest. There is some blood, but that quickly stops as what should have been a fatal wound rapidly disappears before the collective gaze of onlookers. Finally, it looks as if a wound had never been there from the start. The crowd gasps as one._

_"What work of the Devil is this!?" St. Beraidh bellowed furiously as his face glows red and his eyes seem to burst into flames._

_At this outburst, everyone, including Deirdre, shy away from Dowhn as if he is a plague carrier. Dowhn feels his heart racing as he looks around with horror._

_"I-I don't know what has happened to me!" He screeched. "I don't understand! It all started almost a year ago when I woke up on my birthday to find that I was now like this! Surely this must be God's work!? What about the stories you used to tell us from the Bible about how Jesus healed the sick and raised the dead!?"_

_"Jesus is in Heaven so He no longer does miracles!" St. Beraidh roared. His expression twists from pure hatred for all things different, making him seem inhuman. "The only miracles being worked in the world today are those of Satan's! You are in league with the Devil!" As he is now pointing an accusing finger at Dowhn. "And all those who have been blessed by him are to be exterminated! Get him!"_

_All of the men fall upon Dowhn, laying firm hands upon him. Dowhn tries to shrug them off, protesting his innocence. One of the men takes the opportunity to punch him in the face with absolute ruthlessness. It doesn't hurt Dowhn, but. . . ._

_"Argh! It's like punching stone!" The man yelled as his face twists from pain while doubling over and clutching his hand._

_From then on, nobody dares to punch or even kick Dowhn. Instead, they beat him with whatever they can lay hands upon and effectively swing. From head to toe, he gets beaten with rocks, chunks of wood, or tools. All the while, screaming virulent accusations at him._

_" . . . Devil worshiper . . . !"_

_" . . . Witchcraft . . . !"_

_" . . . Kill him . . . !"_

_" . . . Why aren't you dying . . . !?"_

_". . . He's a devil . . . !"_

_That is when someone had found some rope. Dowhn is then turned over and his face pinned into the ground as his arms are wretched behind his back. They are tied together by his forearms as the rope is wrapped around the full length of them. Having his arms wretched back like this would normally be very painful, but he didn't feel any pain. None at all anymore. At least not physically._

_After getting tied up, the crowd goes back to beating him once again. This time with his head exposed, he suffers it more intently. Deirdre's father comes forward with a blacksmith hammer and raises it high then brings it down upon Dowhn's skull. But the hammer only bounces harmlessly away. Yet it did leave a gash, which disappears very rapidly. Next comes Dowhn's own father with an axe raised high, blade sure to strike. His face hideously twisted from hatred, as if Dowhn is some total stranger who happened to rape then killed either his wife or daughter. He brings the axe down upon Dowhn's skull with all of his strength. Again, with no effect save to temporarily break the skin. To both men, it was as if they had been hitting diamond._

_None of Dowhn's bones can be broken. Each and every flesh wound disappears very rapidly. He doesn't even flinch from the blows being rained upon him. All this continue to add to the horror in the onlookers. But this only serves to fuel their homicidal madness toward Dowhn. This time with edged weapons, they stabbed, hacked, and gouge him. But no matter how grievous the wounds to his soft tissue, or where they are inflicted, they just keep disappearing before their very eyes. Throughout it all, Dowhn doesn't struggle as he had simply resigned himself to being pummeled. He might not feel any physical pain, but he feels it mentally as he now feels so numb. Part of his nightmare has finally come true._

_He is next hauled upright by the hair of his head and another rope is tied tightly around his neck and tightened to the point that he is unable to breathe. He then gets jerked forward so violently that he falls upon his face, and pulled along with absolutely no regard for his safety. The crowd cheers such treatment as all along the way they hurl rocks at him. Even being strangled, he doesn't pass out from the lack of air. If anything, he doesn't even feel the slightest need to breathe._

_Dowhn is dragged over to the center square and forced up onto his knees before St. Beraidh. The Abbot glares down at Dowhn for a moment, noting that he doesn't sport so much as a scratch, just the dirt that he had been dragged through. Such a horrific beating should have left Dowhn dead and completely unrecognizable by now. Moreover, St. Beraidh sees that the rope around his neck is tight enough to strangle him. The Abbot reaches forward and loosens it. Dowhn doesn't even gasp with relief._

_The Abbot then raises his hands for silence and gets it, with a few stragglers being quickly shushed. Once he gets the quiet he wanted, he begins in a loud and severe tone that sounds like someone who is used to being obeyed._

_"Dowhn McEleon! I hearby charge you with engaging in the black arts! Of sorcery! Of being in league with Lucifer! Because of the seriousness of what you have become, you will be put on trial as of right now, then executed by fire afterwards! Let the eyewitnesses to your satanic ways come forth and give their evidence!"_

_Each and every villager does so with their so-called accusations._

_"I saw him talking to himself one time," his mother announced to all. "He was with his sheep, yet it was almost as if someone had really been there with him!"_

_"One time, he told my dog to go away right in front of me," his brother announced. "My dog went missing shortly after that and has yet to be found."_

_Ever more accusers come forth. He seems too strong, he runs too fast, he seems too smart, etcetera. Anything that makes Dowhn seem unusual to the others. Or perhaps just those who bear a grudge against him. Whatever the accusations, each get taken seriously. Last of all is Deirdre, and hers proves the most damning of all._

_"He would have nightmares," she said casually as she looks at Dowhn coldly. Each seem like a stranger to the other._

_"What sort of nightmares?" St. Beraidh asked intently._

_"He claimed to forget what they were all about. Yet sometimes at night whenever he was having those nightmares, he'd say, leave me alone, Satan."_

_This elicits the most intense collective gasp of horror from the crowd._

_"And there you have it!" St. Beraidh yelled triumphantly to the crowd. "Unrefuted proof from the mouth of his own wife that he was heard consorting with the Devil in a vision!" He next turns to Deirdre with more pity now. "The circumstances for you are quite tricky. You are his wife and that might make you liable. But . . . your innocence can be restored. All you have to do is publicly renounce your marriage to him . . . right here . . . right now."_

_"Then I hereby renounce my marriage to Dowhn McEleon!" Deirdre answered immediately and without hesitation in a loud and clear voice. She glowers at Dowhn the whole time as she also removes her wedding ring then tosses it at him where it rolls along the ground, coming to a stop before him._

_Dowhn stares down at it hollowly. Something inside him snaps and he breaks down and cries as he topples over onto his side. He feels as if his heart had been cut out._

_"Then I hereby proclaim your marriage annulled and your innocence restored!" St. Beraidh announced._

_Dowhn still weeps. The beatings and accusations were one thing, but his own wife of nearly a year!? A girl who loved him!? Did she fear him that much that her love for him had died!? Yet she accused him and agreed to the annulment, then cast her ring away. His numbness seems to grow even more intense._

_St. Beraidh next walks up to Dowhn, who didn't regard his presence and just stares teary-eyed at that ring while down on his side. A pair of monks roughly pull him back upright onto his knees. The Abbot kneels down, his face just inches from Dowhn's._

_"What do you have to say for yourself now!? Confess your sins! Confess them now, and you will die with the grace of God! He will see you to Heaven with a chorus of angels!"_

_Dowhn just continues sobbing as he stares down past the Abbot at that ring as if all alone. St. Beraidh grabs him by his chin and forcibly turn his face to his own._

_"Do you really wish to go to Hell where you will be tormented for eternity with fire and brimstone!?" The Abbot hissed incredulously._

_Again Dowhn says nothing and sobs as he just stares back into St. Beraidh's fiery eyes with a pained expression._

_"So be it," the Abbot said contemptuously as he roughly let go of his chin, flinging his head to the side, and stands. "It is only fitting that you'll want to be with your master again." Next, he orders for all available firewood to be brought forth._

_Men hurry off and return with armloads of wood, which they begin carefully stacking nearby to form a bed. Since this is firewood, it had been carefully covered to protect it from getting wet. In the meantime, more rope is found and tied around Dowhn's legs and then tied to the ropes around his forearms. He is effectively hogtied with his legs bent over his back._

_Once they make a large enough bed, Dowhn is picked up by four men and carried face upwards upon their shoulders over to it. They throw him down upon his back to expose his front upward, knocking the air out of him momentarily. More wood is stacked over him. Dowhn lies there staring up at the sky. His teary eyes now empty and his face twisted from internal agony. He simply no longer wants to live anymore as he is now dead inside. He now wants to accept death._

_He notices a crowd off to one side and slowly turns his head to acknowledge them. It is Deirdre with her family, consisting of her father, mother, brother, and three sisters. His own family is there too, that being his father, mother, two brothers, and two sisters. They all give him such hateful looks, and shedding no tears._

_But Deirdre's glare seems to be the most discomforting of all. What happened to the girl who greeted him with warm smiles!? The girl with whom he made love to almost every night!? She indeed looks like a stranger to him._

_They all turn their backs to him and walk away, returning to the crowd, just as a pile of wood is dump onto Dowhn's head, blocking his view. Dowhn still manages to shift his head once again to face upward. Only now he keeps his eyes closed. Inside, he feels as if his mind now cringes in the back of his own skull. Tears stream down the sides of his face._

_Once enough wood has been stacked upon him, they next pour oil all over, saturating both the wood and Dowhn as well. The crowd gathers around that woodpile in a circle. A torch is lit and given to St. Beraidh, who then faces the crowd as he holds it high while standing near the condemned man._

_"The name, Dowhn McEleon, is to never ever be uttered again!" Then he turns to the woodpile. "Now burn in Hell!" And tosses the torch onto it, where it catches rapidly. Between the dryness of the wood and the oil saturating it, it soon turns into a roaring bonfire. It becomes so hot that everyone has to get well away from it._

_Dowhn feels that heat more intimately than the others, and yet it doesn't hurt him. Still, it truly does seem to him as if he is burning in Hell. He has since figured out that he no longer feels pain, but why is he not dying!? Is this truly the work of the Devil!? No, the Devil has nothing to do with this, despite St. Beraidh's ranting and raving. Is this God's work being done!? If so, why did He do this!? St. Beraidh once quoted the bible saying that it is written that the wages of sin is death. So why is he not dead by now!? It feels like eternity to him._

_Dowhn feels himself tingle like he did from his other wounds, only this time all over himself instead of in local areas._

_The next thing he is aware of is his limbs now being free. The ropes had burned off. What must he do now!? If he's not dead now, then he won't die anytime soon! Once the wood burns up, then what!? They will only end up trying to find another way to kill him. Enough is enough, he will make a break for it, preferably to the Liffy River since it is the closest. There is a chance that he might swim across it, though the current might be too strong._

_Dowhn shifts his arms then with a yell sat up, flinging enflamed wood everywhere, causing the crowd to scream and scatter to avoid getting burned. He quickly rolls off the bonfire and scrambles onto his feet, but his eyes are still burned and he cannot see._

_That tingling still goes on and shapes begin to quickly take form. Finally, he can see once again. All of his clothing has since been burned away, leaving him naked. He is completely bald now too, since all of his hair from crown to toes had been burned away as well. The terror-stricken crowd look ready to scatter at a moment's notice._

_Dowhn quickly gets his bearings and runs toward the Liffy river. Yet not before he managed to grab a chunk of burning wood. He brandishes it like a club as he runs toward the crowd, yelling, causing them to scream and scatter. Now he has a clear run all of the way to the river._

_"After him!" St. Beraidh bellowed, causing everyone to give chase._

_Dowhn reaches the banks of the river and quickly starts wading in. The water feels cold but it doesn't bother him. The villagers stop just beyond the shore as Dowhn continues to wade ever deeper. Once it reached up his neck, the current sweeps him off his feet and he disappears beneath the churning water._

_This is it, Dowhn thought, he can't swim against the current and is finally going to drown as he sinks to the bottom while being washed away. Water fills his mouth, but not his nostrils. Nor does it go down his throat. More to the point, he doesn't feel even the slightest need to breathe, and cannot will himself to inhale nor exhale. Throughout it all he is still perfectly alert. This no longer surprises him now because he now understands perfectly that he is not going to drown._

_Then it finally comes to him that he can use this to his advantage to escape the villagers. He can swim away from Ireland and go to Angleland to start a new life._

_Dowhn drifts along the bottom, using his arms to keep to the middle of the river where the water is the deepest, and to avoid being seen from shore. The river bed begins to widen and knows that he is heading out into open ocean. When the water in his mouth turned salty, he knew he had finally reached the sea. He kept swimming ever onward, always keen on remaining well below the surface. But not so deeply that he might not see. With salt water being more dense than fresh water, he became able to remain more buoyant._

_Upon getting far enough away, he stops for a moment to remove the one thing that the fire couldn't burn and his only piece of jewelry: his wedding ring. Dowhn looks at it for a moment. Everyone and everything he loved and held dear to him are no more. His marriage had been annulled and Deirdre eagerly removed her ring and threw it away. His tears are absorbed by the ocean and his face twists from grief. All he can do is shudder since he cannot scream his anguish._

_Finally after calming, Dowhn next looks toward the east where new adventures await him. His heart races and he has a ticklish tingling feeling in his palm and groin. He finally drops the ring and starts swimming._

_He didn't bother watching it fall to be consumed by the darkness._

* * *

**Notes:**

**English is a corruption of the name, Angles.**

**Back in that time, it was perfectly okay for a man to marry a young girl, even as young as twelve years old (although consummation of the marriage might be postponed until the girl was old enough, a lot of the times it was not always so).**

**There had really been a St. Beraidh in Ireland, he died in 650 A.D. His character is unknown, so I was able to take artistic license with him.**

**Dublin got its name for a black tidal pool that was near the shore, but it doesn't exist anymore. For more information about Dublin, read the Wikipedia or other sources.**


	6. Chapter 5

" . . . I reached England two days later, hungry, thirsty, and exhausted," Don concluded. "A group of people found me. They took me back to their village where I was fed and clothed. In exchange, I agreed to become a serf. I told them that my name was Reilly and I had just escaped from a pirate ship by jumping overboard. I explained that I had been stripped and shaved after being captured. As for those people, I stayed with them for a couple of years. Yet all during that time I was afraid that they might discover my secret. Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore and fled. Once again, I went far away and took on a new name and settled for a time. And again I moved, taking on a new name after that. And so on. And so forth. It has continued to be this way for the past fourteen hundred years, and will continue to be so for now and forever."

Don falls silent, showing that he has concluded his story.

Sakaki had been listening intently. She cannot help but feel empathy for him. He truly does understand where she is coming from. If anything, he understands more than her.

"Did you ever return to Ireland?"

"Yes, but not for another one thousand years after fleeing. By then, Duiblinn was now called Dublin and completely swallowed up Ath Cliath, thereby becoming a large town. When I arrived, I thought for a split second that the people would recognize me. But I was just another total stranger passing through to them. I tried to find out about the McEleon clan but they no longer existed; nor did the name, Dowhn, for that matter. I guess the villagers were true to their word in not mentioning my name ever again because I couldn't find any record of them. My family had obviously forsaken their old name for a new one. I only remained for two weeks before leaving the island once again. I returned for a second time only just last month. Again it was for only two weeks."

"Does your reluctance to return have to do with the manner of your leaving Ireland in the first place?" Sakaki asked gently. "That was so long ago. And you did say that you were completely forgotten by the time you first returned."

"To you it may be a very long time ago," Don replied. "But to me, it might as well have happened yesterday. I have a photographic memory now, thanks to the essence that has accumulated in me. I have lived everywhere across the world, averaging several years in any given place. Some places I would return to a century later. Yet even to this day, I just cannot bring myself to live anywhere in Ireland for any considerable length of time. The memories are still just too painful. I could live to be a million years old and I will still feel that way. They say that time heals all wounds, but scars are still left over. If not on our bodies, then in our minds."

"I don't think Japan will cause me that much pain," Sakaki said. "Someday, I hope to return and live there for as long as I possibly can. But I'll have to wait a very long time. Preferably until all those who remember me are all dead."

"Then when that day comes, try and find out when your family died and the circumstances," Don said. "That way you won't be left wondering what became of their lives. Sometimes, I dream of Deihdre, and the rest of my family, wondering how they had all lived out their lives. But I'll never know the details. What I do know is that they lived out the rest of their lives burdened with the knowledge of what I became. I'm willing to bet that their lives were shortened because of it, either through suicide or just plain horror that took its toll upon their health. Your family and friends on the other hand, will never bear such knowledge. Especially your friends since they obviously died blissfully ignorant of what you've become."

"But they would never have done to me what your people did to you," Sakaki stated intently. "Nobody believes in that sort of stuff in this day and age anymore. We're more advanced now."

"True, fewer people take the supernatural seriously anymore, at least in the developed world," Don admitted. "But no matter how advanced humanity becomes, we will always find miracles disturbing. When we encounter something that goes against our reasoning, it disturbs us because we cannot explain it properly. It's because humanity craves reason, something that miracles defy. Reason diminishes fear, giving us more control over ourselves. And control is what we most desire. Being immortal is a miracle in its most concentrated form. If anything, your family and friends might have ended up shunning you."

Sakaki shudders at that thought. Would they have really ended up doing such a thing!? Little Chiyo-chan even!? She can almost picture her family and friends turning their backs to her with fearful looks and hurrying away. She blinks hard to dispel that imagery. Although her family will live on with the sorrow of her death, at least her friends died oblivous to what she had become. As for herself, her memories of them will only be happy ones.

She doesn't want to linger on the what-ifs for very long and seeks to ask questions once again.

"When did you meet another immortal, Don-kun?"

"It was shortly after my one hundredth birthday in what is now France. I was traveling down a road one day when I came upon another man who gave me that feeling. He stopped and explained it to me. Naturally, I was astonished by what he told me about myself. He said that he was as old as Christ and I was the fourth immortal he had ever encountered. Then he said that he was going to vanquish me and what that meant and why. Fortunately, I was armed with my own sword. Back in those days, you had to be. Banditry was all too common away from the safety of the town and city walls. It was a hard battle and I almost got frozen for it. He had several centuries of skill over me. But the end result is obvious and I ended up absorbing his essence. Over the centuries, I encountered three more. Another man who wanted to vanquish me; a woman who did not; and another woman who also wanted to vanquish me."

"How come is it that no immortal has ever been discovered by the rest of humanity?" Sakaki asked. "Why is it that none of them have ever tried to rule a country? They are perfectly suited for being tyrants since they cannot be killed and would obviously inspire fear. Perhaps even going as far as to declare themselves gods."

"In order to understand why, you must first understand that despite our having differing personalities, we all share a couple of core character traits which are eternally fixed. What that means is that while we can become increasingly complex over time, we cannot stray from our core traits; just as cement cannot be changed after it's set. Those core traits are introversion and a fear of exposure. Just think about it for a moment: an extroverted immortal would run a greater risk of exposure than an introverted one. Our fear of exposure is as profound as the fear of death and permanent injury once was in us. In fact, the fear of mortal harm disappears upon becoming immortal and is replaced with the fear of exposure. You'll feel it too when you go out there in the world. You're always going to worry that your secret is going to be discovered and used against you through threats of exposure. Just as I and the others are fearing it too. Yet that does not mean that you'll never give over to it. There have been a few times when I risked my secrecy to help others, but the fear was always there."

"Has there ever been anybody who found out your secret?" Sakaki asked.

"Yes, there have been. Down through the centuries, there had been seven mortals whom I shared my secret with. Forced actually since they caught me red-handed regenerating a grievous injury that should have killed me outright. Five of them were women. The most recent one was sixty-five years ago, during World War Two, but she died hours later in an air raid. The rest though lived on for decades, dying natural deaths."

"Truly they must have been frightened by you."

"That they were. Though three of those women became my lovers for a time. When the time came, I disappeared like I had always done. It was painful, as I'm sure it was for them. But they understood that it had to be done since I used to warn them that the day was coming when I would leave without saying goodbye. Just as you will too if some other mortal discovers your secret. Although in your case, other mortal men might feel too intimidated by what you are to want to get involved with you, intimately."

"Then I'll just have to be certain that I'm never discovered," Sakaki said.

They take it easy for the rest of the day, with Don explaining more about being an immortal. Part of which being that absolutely any object in the hands of an immortal will freeze another immortal. Even a broken bottle, as he ended up demonstrating upon her. He also demonstrated that another immortal's body part, particularily a finger, can also freeze another immortal as well.

There is no moon tonight and the sky is clear, allowing the myriad of stars to be seen. Sakaki is amazed by all of the stars. With all of the ambient light given off by Japan's metropolises, it's difficult to see most of the stars, unless one is up in the most remote places in Japan, and they are few. She knew Kaori would have loved to see this, since she was studying to be an astronomer. But Kaori will never again see the stars, causing Sakaki's eyes to moisten and her throat to tighten slightly.

"Back then I used to believe that they were angels dotting the night sky," Don mused. "I also used to believe that the world was flat and the sun moved through the sky. Then I met Galileo and he showed me the heavens through his telescope, telling me that Earth was not the center of the universe. After living for so long, I was open to that possibility, even though I couldn't help but to be a little skeptical at first."

"I learned about him in high school," Sakaki said. "Wasn't he burnt at the stake for his beliefs?"

"No, he wasn't. But he was threatened with it if he didn't recant everything he had said about the universe. Poor man, I was there when he uttered those words. I knew that he never meant it and it pained him so much. He was then placed under house arrest for the rest of his life. The only people who were allowed access to him were those who attended to his needs. I managed to pull a few strings and got to be one of those people. He eventually went completely blind and it just devastated him. I watched him die. I never told him what I was, but I did get the impression that he suspected when he remarked on how I didn't sound old."

"You must have met a lot of important people in your life," Sakaki said impressively.

"That I have. I met Charles Martel, and later on, his grandson, Charlemagne. I met Joan of Arc, Christopher Columbus, Amerigo Vespucci, Napoleon, and have even briefly crossed paths with Adolf Hitler in the nineteen twenties, and knew that he was someone to be feared. I also met Elvis Presley."

"Then there were the events that I bore witness to: the Crusades; the Black Death; the Age of Exploration; the American Revolution; the French Revolution; the American Civil War; and the Two World Wars. I have bore witness to the past fourteen hundred years, even though I wasn't everywhere to experience these things. You may even get to meet people who will become important historical figures, and even bear witness to historical moments. It might not mean a whole lot to you simply because you were there. History is only exciting to those who were never there."

Sakaki reflects upon all of that. All of those events that have ever come to pass, she wasn't there. To her, they were something exciting. Except to Don, they were just moments that he took for granted.

"Do you ever wish to be normal?" Sakaki asked.

"Sometimes. Then I look at other mortals who have withered with age and a part of me ends up feeling glad. What mortals truly fear is not actually death itself, it's the withering of their bodies that they fear."

There is another moment of silence.

"Where exactly did you say that we are in Canada again?" Sakaki asked. She had learned about Canada and understands that it's a large nation just north of and next to the United States of America, roughly as large as America itself.

"We're in a province called Newfoundland. Its official name is Newfoundland and Labrador, and is Canada's youngest province, having entered confederation on March the thirty-first, nineteen forty-nine. It's a large island that borders the eastern seaboard, facing the Atlantic Ocean, with a current population of roughly five hundred and fourteen thousand."

Sakaki nods in understanding.

"Do you know any English?" Don then asked her in English.

"Fairly well," Sakaki answered back in English.

"Then from this point forward, you speak English to me," Don said in English. "It's only fitting since you're not in Japan anymore. Now let's turn in for the night."

The sleeping arrangements are simple. Don, being of a more nobler sentiment, allows Sakaki to have his bed while he lays down blankets to sleep on the floor. Sakaki will sleep in a T-shirt and underwear and Don in his boxers. With the lights out, they settle in for the night.

"Don-kun," Sakaki said. "You said that you met two other immortal women in your life, with one of them trying to vanquish you. What about the other one who didn't try to vanquish you?"

For a moment, he remains silent as he let out a big sigh.

"It was in the year, twelve forty, in Russia where I met her. Her original name was Sarah Banner. She was a beautiful woman, with wavy blond hair the color of the sun and gentle-looking eyes the color of the grass of Ireland. She challenged me and we fought, then managed to freeze me. Yet all she did was to just stand there and wait for me to unfreeze. When I unfroze, she dropped her sword and permitted me to freeze her in return, which I did. But I didn't vanquish her. After that, we remained close and got closer still as we fell in love. We got married the following year. There were no children, as I had explained earlier, nor did we adopt for that matter. She was two hundred years older than me, but age difference is a nonissue when you no longer age. We were married for precisely one hundred years."

"You two must have truly loved each other if you were married for that long," Sakaki said with soft amazement. "Where is she now?"

"Vanquished, by an unknown immortal. But before that, we got divorced. That's another lesson to be learned about being immortal: our love is still mortal. While it's certainly true that marriages can last until the day one of the spouses dies. As it was for one mortal couple having been married for eighty years until they both died. It's just that they die long before their love for each other ever can."

"She was vanquished twenty years after we divorced. That night I had a dream. It was so real that it was as if I were physically there and wide awake and watching it. In it, I saw Sarah being frozen then vanquished with a chop through her neck from a sword. I woke up in a cold sweat. It was then that I sensed that an immortal woman had just been vanquished. I knew with absolute certainty that it had been Sarah. Naturally, I broke down and cried. After all, I had been married to her for a hundred years, so it was not like she was just some passing fancy."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Sakaki said tenderly.

They fall silent. Sakaki wonders if she might end up feeling something for this man. Can she dare to feel such things? She hardly knows him, other than that she can trust him. He froze her to show that he could, then could have vanquished her and there would have been nothing she could have done to prevent it. But he chose to vanquish one of her arms instead.

How is this going to turn out?

For Don, it's the possibility of him feeling something for the newly-minted immortal woman in his bed. Sarah was the only woman he never truly got over (although her being an immortal had definitely factored into that). The next immortal woman he met some three hundred years after her vanquishment was instead intent on vanquishing him, except he got the upper hand on her. Now, here's Sakaki Reiko, a Japanese woman who is tall, busty, and statuesque even by Western standards. She possesses a serene beauty, yet manages to radiate both confidence and a childlike nature.

This situation is different though. He is going to be her teacher, making her the first immortal he will ever teach his sword skills to. There had been no other immortal for him to be guided by, forcing him to come to terms with his own immortality all by himself. He remembers how frightened he used to be of himself for a long time. He had been guided to her by his rare intuitions. He allowed her to freeze him. She could have vanquished him, but couldn't do it. He knows that he can trust her.

_Sakaki stands under the ocean as eight figures suddenly rise around her from out of the ocean floor. They are her friends, but they all have a chilling look as only the whites of their eyes show. Chiyo-chan's hair is done up in her old pigtails. Maya lies across Chiyo-chan's shoulders, also showing only the whites of his eyes. They all begin to speak to her in emotionlessly raspy gurgling tones._

_Tones of accusations._

_"Sakaki, why are you still alive?" From Yomi._

_"You should have died with us," from Tomo._

_"Are you better than us?" From Kagura._

_"Who do you think you are?" From Osaka._

_"I loved you, how could you snub us like this?" From Kaori._

_"We hate you," from Chiyo-chan. Maya echoes with an eerie caterwaul._

_"Do you honestly think that we will ever forgive you for this?" From Nyamo._

_"We will make sure that you die with us," from Yukari._

_They all lunge at Sakaki, grabbing firmly onto her. Together, they start to slowly sink into the ocean floor, taking Sakaki with them. She struggles to get loose, unable to utter so much as a sound due to being underwater._

_Lower and lower, they sink. Sakaki still keeps trying to break free, only to no avail. She is now up to her knees, then her hips, next are her breasts. Now she is up to her chin and she still keeps sinking. She tries to keep her face up above the sea floor. Last of all is her face as it now begins to slowly disappear into the sand. First her mouth fills with dirt, then her nose. Her eyes are the last of all to disappear, throwing her into darkness._

Sakaki awakens with a gasp of terror as she shudders and sobs.

"Easy, easy, it was just a nightmare," Don cooed as he is now alongside her and holding her. "I used to have a lot of them in my earlier years. They're just a representation of your guilt. You feel that you shouldn't have survived."

"How do you do it, Don-kun?" Sakaki sobbed. "What ever made you want to live to this day by not allowing another immortal to vanquish you?"

"I sometimes wondered the same thing," Don answered softly as he continues holding her. "I guess it's because I have long since come to terms with my immortality. That I am to make the best of it. Therefore, I ended up resolving to go to sleep every night and wake up the next day, looking forward to what else is going to happen. That is what you should do, Sakaki. You should go to sleep right now and wonder what tomorrow is going to bring."

With that said, Don returns to his makeshift bed, leaving Sakaki to go to sleep. She lies there for a time as she stares up at the ceiling in the darkness, thinking about her friends and family, causing tears to flow down her face. She manages to fall asleep once again. This time no nightmares disturb her sleep.


	7. Chapter 6

The next day Don reveals his laptop to Sakaki, complete with wireless Internet connection. Yet he uses a handcranked dynamo to recharge its battery. Sakaki searches for Japanese news reports concerning people dying in car accidents by drowning. There are a few hundred hits, but they're arranged in order of accuracy, and clicking on the first one alerts her with a mixture of both eagerness and sorrow. It's in Japanese and dated from the day of the accident. It reads:

**Nine people drowned today when their van went off a highway in a freak accident and into the Pacific Ocean. The accident occurred sometime between ten and ten forty-five A.M., a half-hour's drive northeast of Tokyo. Investigators were able to conclude that it was due to a front tire blowing out, which in turn made the van flip over the railing. But not before it landed directly upon its windshield, which got pried loose, before the van continued over into the ocean.**

**The occupants, all female and ranging in age from fifteen to twenty-nine, were: Mihama Chiyo, aged fifteen; Aida Kaori, aged nineteen; Kasuga Ayumu (Osaka), aged nineteen; Takino Tomo, aged nineteen; Mizuhara Koyomi (Yomi), aged twenty; Kagura Mitsu, aged twenty; Sakaki Reiko, aged twenty; Kurosawa Minamo (Nyamo), aged twenty-nine; and Tanizaki Yukari, aged twenty-nine. Only eight of the occupants were recovered as the body of Sakaki Reiko is yet to be found. A memorial service will be held for them on May 27th at 1:00 P.M. in the Kiyohiko Azuma High School gymnasium, since Kurosawa Minamo and Tanizaki Yukari were teachers there, and the other seven had been their former students there too.**

**Included with them was an Iriomote Mountain Cat that had also drowned. It is an endangered species from the island of Iriomote Jima, part of the Ryukyu Archipelago. According to sources, the victim, Sakaki Reiko, had been keeping it as a pet. A move that could have brought criminal charges if discovered.**

Sakaki buries her face into her hands and cries over both the news article and the last paragraph. Moreover, that memorial is being held today. Don walks up to her and reads the headline since he can read Japanese. He gently places his hand upon her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Sakaki," he whispered. "But as I stated before, it's for the better that they believe that you drowned in the attempt to swim to shore and got washed out to sea."

Sakaki just sits there hunched over the table for awhile as she continues to cry softly.

Once she calms enough, she continues searching for as many return hits as possible for more information about the accident. They are all relatively the same, if worded a little differently. She does, however, find news articles exclusively about Maya, worded that an Iriomote Mountain Cat drowns with passengers in Japan. There are condemnations in those articles, with a zoologist working in Iriomote Jima stating that Sakaki was a foolish woman for taking the cat out of its natural habitat. This cut her deeply, for if they only knew that it was Maya who had sought her out, and not the other way around like they had claimed.

In an attempt to take her mind off all this, she starts surfing for more information about Newfoundland instead. Looking at its proximity to Japan, she is amazed at just how far she had come here. It's further north than Japan, further than even Hokkaido. That can only mean it will have colder winters since according to Yomi, the winters are considered cold in Hokkaido.

The thought of Yomi suddenly causes her to feel a touch of angst. Her pretty bespectacled friend always worried about her weight. Sakaki sometimes wanted to tell her that she had nothing to worry about, that she looked just fine. If anything, Yomi was a slimmer version of herself. But she knew to hold her tongue over this because deep down inside Yomi never accepted this. Then there was Tomo, Yomi's best friend. That seemed almost like a misnomer since the smaller hyperactive bonkler had always teased Yomi about her weight, thus arousing Yomi to do her harm. If only Tomo had understood that her comments were hurtful instead of funny. But getting Tomo to understand that seemed to be an impossible chore.

Sakaki forces herself to stop reminiscing as her throat tightens up once again and her tear ducts feel irritated. She tries to focus on what is upon the screen concerning Newfoundland and Labrador.

She is bemused by the shape of the island. It can almost be described as a triangle, but such a description falls short because of the intricacy of its shape. The island is composed of a main body with seven peninsulas (although it looks as if there are only four since three of them are not as prominent). The mountains are low and worn as opposed to being high and jagged like the ones that make up Japan. It is also a geographically stable region, so earthquakes are rare. Whatever earthquakes that might occur are only strong enough to rattle dishes. There are no volcanoes nor hotsprings here either. There are thousands of bays, inlets, and coves. The province, both the island and its territory, cover an area of roughly 252,205 square kilometers (156,649 square miles). The island alone covers an area of roughly 68,801 square kilometers (42,734 square miles), leaving Labrador to cover roughly 183,404 square kilometers (113,894 square miles). As for Labrador, it's separated from the island by a strait roughly fifteen kilometers (nine miles) wide. The territory is almost exclusively wilderness, with the town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay being the largest community there with several thousand people. The rest are villages and hamlets that dot the shores. Don points out St. John's in relation to where they are on the island.

Afterwords, she gets off the Internet and goes outside to look around at what animals she can see. Don joins her. There are the usual birds and squirrels. The squirrels are cute, making her blush.

"You will need to go by a different name," Don said.

Sakaki sighs despondantly.

"Look, I know how you feel," Don cooed as he stops and clasps her by the shoulders, giving her an empathic look. "When I first took on a new name, it felt as if a piece of me had been hacked off. Each and every time, I had to think carefully before giving my new name. Whenever somebody called out to me by my new name, I had to give them the impression that I had trouble paying attention. But I had no choice. I didn't want to run the risk of one of my people possibly learning that I was still alive somehow. Either from one of them coming to England or through one of the English going over there after having met me and dropping my name. Then returning and hunting me down."

"For a long time afterwards, I was always fearful that one day someone was going to recognize me and call out, Dowhn McEleon, and I would quickly acknowledge them, thus blowing my cover. After a time, I eventually lost that fear because those who had remembered me back in Ireland had since died. But I have never gone by my original name since the year six hundred and twenty-eight, save as Don as a second or third name, but only as a diminutive of Donald. I have gone by nearly two hundred different names and surnames."

"You will be doing the same thing too, Sakaki. Taking on new names as if they're new clothes, then shedding them like old ones for new ones. Another thing that you will eventually have to do is to tell them that you're from either Canada, America, or Australia. Over time you will lose your Japanese accent and be able to claim that you were born in either country. For awhile, I had to tell them that I was from somewhere else in Ireland and never Dublin. Eventually when my Gaelic accent disappeared, I was able to claim other countries as my birth of origin."

"Why Canada, America, or Australia?" Sakaki asked.

"Because they're nations of immigrants. Every culture, ethnic group, and race that exists on Earth is found in these three nations. You can claim you're from any of them and no one will be the wiser. With your Japanese accent, you can even claim that you're an immigrant."

Sakaki always found that odd. As far as she or any other Japanese person is concerned, a citizen is someone who can only claim it by being of the same ancestry as that country's founders. The idea of someone able to leave their country of origin and go to another country and claim citizenship to it is strange.

She suddenly remembers back to a discussion her and her friends all had about America during their stay at Chiyo-chan's Summer House the year they were to graduate. . . .

_"Most Americans may be Caucasian," Chiyo-chan explained, "but there are also Americans who are of African or Asian heritage who are every bit as American as the ones who came from Europe."_

_"Now I find that hard to wrap my mind around," Kagura mused. "How can a people leave their country to create a new one, then allow other people from other countries to go there and be a part of that new country?"_

_"Because they can," Nyamo answered. "My cousin's an example. She immigrated to America and recently became an American citizen. She even told me that no one there made a big deal that she was from Japan. Nobody even stared at her whenever she walked down the street. It was as if she had been invisible to them. Whereas any Westerner who comes here, immediately gets singled out. The point is that she's considered a Japanese-American over there."_

_"A Japanese-American," Yukari smirked as she rolls her eyes. "How can there be any such thing? You're either Japanese or you're not."_

_"Americans used to be British one time until they declared their independence and fought their British brethren for it," Sakaki said. "In doing so, they ended up rejecting their British heritage and created a new heritage for themselves."_

_"Wow, you're really smart, Sakaki-san," Kaori said dreamily._

_"In America, nobody knows who the foreigner really is," Osaka said blankly._

_Everyone stares at Osaka with bewilderment._

_"Why is it that you sometimes make so much sense," Yomi sneered, "but most of the times, you make no sense at all?" Everyone else agrees._

_"I do?" Osaka answered blankly._

_"Those Americans are such dumbasses," Tomo smirkered. "It's almost sounds as if they're foreigners in their own land."_

_"We can't conceive of such a thing because our people have lived here for thousands of years," Chiyo-chan explained, "so almost all of us are of the same ethnic group. But America is a nation created by immigrants. They're going to have a different view of themselves and the world around them."_

_"A land of guns and gluttonous loudmouthed rude people who walk around with their shoes on inside of houses," Yukari said offhandedly._

_"Hey, you'd easily fit right in there, Yomi," Tomo teased. Yomi responses by putting Tomo in a headlock and wrestling her to the floor, then tries to bend her legs up over her head._

_"But Americans get shot a lot," Osaka suddenly said._

_"Osaka, you dimwit, don't go scaring Chiyo-chan with stuff like that!" Kagura snapped as she slaps her across the shoulder._

_"Speaking of my cousin," Nyamo spoke up, wanting to change the subject, "she's currently dating a Caucasian man."_

_Yukari snickers and smirks as she presses her hand to her mouth, then gives Nyamo an oh-so-mischievous look. Like the time she suggested that they go flower-watching together. "So was she able to see if what they say about their menfolk is true or not?"_

_There's a moment of silence as Nyamo makes an uneasy grin while glancing at Chiyo-chan. "Well . . . ," she began, causing the girls to eagerly sit forward. Everyone except for Kaori and Chiyo-chan, but due to the latter's innocence. "I did ask her that one time and . . . uh . . .," then starts blushing, "it seems that . . . it's true."_

_Yukari gives the girls a look that suggests she's about to voice her excitement as she momentarily covers her mouth with her fingers while briefly darting her eyes side-to-side. The girls all blush rather intensely too and look uncomfortable, including Kaori. All except Chiyo-chan of course._

_"What?" Chiyo-chan pipped up as she looks around at them with wide-eyed innocence. "What's true about Caucasian men? What is it? Tell me!"_

_"They have big-," Tomo pipped up as she rasped gleefully with a wild-eyed look while raising her hands as if measuring something, only to get struck in the head by both Yomi and Kagura simultaneously. "Hands!" She quickly corrected as she emphasizes this. "They have big hands!"_

_Everyone else agrees with hollow approval._

_"And she says that Negro men have even bigger hands," Nyamo quickly hissed intently with a redden face as she holds her open palm up to the side of her mouth. The older girls blush all the more deeply now._

Sakaki smirks at that fond memory, and at the same time, sad. She wonders if Chiyo-chan had ever figured it out. Her throat tightens and her eyes gleam.

"Is something the matter?" Don asked.

"Oh, it's nothing," Sakaki answered with a simple shake of her head.

"Okay," Don answered casually. He knows that she had been reflecting on a moment with her friends. Something that he can attest to. "I also have something to tell you on how I can make you a Canadian citizen, and an American one too."

"How?"

"Marry me."

Sakaki stares wide-eyed at him, her mouth slightly agape. She shakes her head quickly while fluttering her eyelids in the attempt to clear her head.

"M-Marry you!?" She answered incredulously.

"It's a thing of convenience," he answered flatly. "When you marry me, you will be able to claim citizenship to both these nations since I have dual citizenship. I also have citizenship to thirty-two other countries."

"T-This is all too sudden," Sakaki answered slowly and with uncertainty as she darts her eyes around. "I have to think about this first."

"I'm afraid you can't," Don said as he solemnly shakes his head briefly while closing his eyes for a moment. "You're an illegal immigrant now, and have been so since I smuggled you over the territorial boundries of this country. You will run the risk of being discovered. If that happens, you'll be detained and interrogated. If you're not forthcoming, or even if you should actually tell them the truth, which they won't accept, they will deport you back to Japan. And as I had already explained, that can be very bad for you. So you have the next three days to pick a new Japanese name to go by, both surname and given. Because in three days, we will be going to St. John's to get married."

Sakaki sighs deeply and despondantly. First she discovered she's immortal, and now she has to forsake her identity. It's just so unfair.

Three days later, they get up at dawn and are on their way down the trail by sunrise. Don drives a grey truck. For some odd reason, Sakaki begins thinking about Yukari's car, or Yukarimobile as it was named. Chiyo-chan had been mentally scarred in that car. This causes Sakaki to reflect back on when she rode in it for the first time on going to Chiyo-chan's Summer House when they were to graduate that year. . . .

_"Let's go, Yukari!" Tomo yelled as she pumps her fist into the air._

_Suddenly, they begin spinning wildly around the place as they go all over the yard. Sakaki feels as if she is about to die as Kaori clings onto her for dear life while screaming. They keep doing this for nearly a minute until Yukari finally stops._

_"Hmm, that's odd," Yukari said with eerie casualness. As if only attempting to start the car up. Tomo is also seemingly unaffected._

_"What!? What's going on!?" Kaori shrieked._

_"Oh, I had the gearshift in reverse," Yukari laughed._

_"Oh, Yukari, you're such a dumbass!" Tomo laughed. "Let's go, Yukari!"_

_This time they're off like a cannonshot. Once again, Kaori screams and holds onto Sakaki for dear life, who in turn feels as if she is riding with the Grim Reaper. In no time, they catch up to Nyamo and the others. Tomo urges Yukari to overtake them. Upon passing Nyamo, Yukari slams onto the breaks just long enough to honk the horn and for Tomo to taunt them, before they go off once again. The street goes up a small hill, and upon reaching the top, they become airborne._

_When they land, Sakaki expects the car to fall to pieces. Yukari keeps honking the horn as the car practically flies down the streets. Pedestrians dodge out of the way. Cars and trucks get clipped. At one point, a tractor trailor gets in the way and Yukari does the insane: she drives upon a sidewalk with the car up on its side on two wheels. Afterwards, they have clear sailing as they literally sail over another hill. Throughout it all, Tomo laughs and whoops, Sakaki remains paralyzed with fear, and Kaori just buries her face into her impressive bosom and continues screaming._

_After may near hits and misses, airborn shortcuts, and even a skip over a small pond like a flat stone, they reach the Summer House._

"Hey Sakaki!" Don called to her, snapping her out of her teary-eyed retrospection. "You can reflect some more on your past while we're driving."

Sakaki blushes with embarrassment and apologizes. She is about to get in when she notices that the passenger's side is the driver's side. Of course, in North America, everyone drives on the other side of the road, so the driver's seat is situated on the left-handed side instead of the right-handed side.

They are off, with Don driving down a short forest road to turn off onto a wider dirt road, then onto another one before they turn onto the TransCanada Highway. It will be a four-hour drive to St. John's. There's a moment of quiet as Sakaki looks out the side window while reflecting some more upon her high school years with her friends, and everything else that happened in between.

"So," Don asked as he glances momentarily at Sakaki. "Have you decided on a new identity yet? When we get married, you can still keep your new surname. The point is that you cannot go by Sakaki Reiko anymore. At least not in public. In private, I can still call you, Sakaki. Perhaps a hundred years from now, you may. But not until then. And then you will have to change it once again and take another."

Sakaki remains silent for a moment. This she now finds to be tough. "My new surname will be Jouryoku and my new given name will be Tameni. Jouryoku Tameni."

"Jouryoku," Don said thoughtfully. "Evergreen. And Tameni means, for, as in f-o-r. Put into a Western context, it becomes Tameni Jouryoku." He falls silent for a second, then smirks as he momentarily gives a cock of his head. "For Evergreen. Forever Green. Very witty, I like it."

Sakaki gives a shy smile as she blushes slightly.

"Now I want you to keep repeating your new name over and over in your mind so that you'll be able to remember it. And to help keep you in practice, I'll be calling you, Tameni, along the way."

True to his word, Don keeps calling Sakaki, Tameni, every now and again. Sometimes she is slow to acknowledge him.

They drive past various towns, villages, and hamlets. At times driving through nothing but wilderness before coming upon the odd hamlet or village.

"There's so much space here and a lot of wilderness too," Sakaki/Tameni said with wonderment. "In Japan, every square meter of space is at a premium. The only wilderness is up in the mountains since they're too steep to be of any use."

"Most of Newfoundland is habitable, Tameni," Don answered. "Yet there are more people moving away from here rather than moving to here. Most of those who do move here from elsewhere tend to move away to somewhere else in Canada afterwards."

"Why is that?"

"Newfoundland always had a history of outmigration."

"It's a pity so many of them move away," Sakaki/Tameni said. "They have such a beautiful land."

"Well now, the only reason why it's able to remain beautiful is because there are not very many people living here," Don countered. "What do you think it would be like if this island were as populous as Japan?"

Sakaki/Tameni imagines it. There wouldn't be much wilderness left. Come to think of it, there wouldn't be _any_ wilderness left. The entire island would end up becoming one huge megalopolis, with no space left for most animal species. Japan already has problems of pollution and garbage disposal, never mind congestion.

"I guess that less people living here is actually better," she said.


	8. Chapter 7

They continue driving past more towns, villages, and hamlets. But mostly villages and hamlets, and again with more wilderness dominating. It then comes to Sakaki/Tameni that she keeps seeing only hakujin. Come to think of it, she had never seen many gaijin in her life while still living in Japan, and now she's in their lands. It is now obvious to her that she's the foreigner here and it makes her feel ill at ease. Now she understands how foreigners from other countries feel whenever they come to Japan, especially if they're blond-haired bright-eyed hakujins. She personally had seen only a few such foreigners when she still lived in Japan. Nearly all hakujin she had ever seen were dark-haired and dark-eyed.

They pull into a rest station to get the truck fueled and use the restrooms afterward. That's when Sakaki/Tameni feels a growing sense of dread. A feeling that spikes whenever anyone glances in their direction. Do they know what she is now!? Do any of them even suspect it!? She never felt this feeling before. Even if they were all Japanese, she might have still felt it; this she is certain of. She conveys this fear to Don.

"That's the fear of exposure I told you about," he said in a low voice to her. "Don't worry, you'll get use to it."

After the truck is fueled up, they go inside. People mill around purchasing products and whatnot. Glances are made at her and Don by anyone nearby. Their looks are neutral as nobody is really staring at her. Very odd how these people don't stare at someone different from them when all of them are hakujin. It feels refreshing. Even so, she still feels that sense of dread that someone will see her for what she and Don are.

"Mommy, look, that woman has very long hair," a little girl suddenly said in an awed and cute voice, drawing Sakaki/Tameni's attention.

The little girl in question is around five years old. She has grey eyes with bright red hair in braided pigtails and a very pale, seemingly white, complexion. She is a cute little girl, causing Sakaki/Tameni to blush and feel intrigued by the redness of her hair and seemingly white complexion. Chiyo-chan had a touch of red in her own hair, but never that vivid a red. She didn't think anyone can have hair as red as that little girl. More to the point, that little girl had noticed her because of her long hair as opposed to just being a foreigner. In Japan, any of these people can be subjected to stares because staring is not considered impolite to her people. Any children around would be keen on voicing the presence of gaijin. When the girl spoke, people did pause to glance in their direction, but went back to whatever they did.

"Emily, it's rude to stare at others," her mother chided, having red hair like her, only of a darker shade.

So they consider it rude to stare at others then? Interesting.

Sakaki next notice two men greeting each other with a handshake, no slight bow. That made her wonder just how these people came to shake hands and never thought to greet each other with a slight bow from the start. Odd how everyone is human, yet developed cultures that are completely different from another in a far away land.

As she further listen to them talking, she finds them hard to understand a lot of the times, despite her grasp of the language. Almost as if they're not speaking English. Yet they are, it's just that they speak a different dialect of English. They sound as if they are frequently clipping their words while at the same time overemphasizing their vowels.

Eventually, Sakaki/Tameni and Don are on their way down the highway once again.

"Why do your people consider it rude to stare at others?" Sakaki/Tameni suddenly asked, then told him about the little red-haired girl.

"Because to a Westerner, especially an American or Canadian," Don answered, "staring implies an invasion of personal space without the other's permission. You Japanese would not consider such things since there are tens of millions of you crammed together into a small country where most of the land is too rugged to live upon. Whereas Canada and the United States of America are huge nations where most of the land can be lived upon, thereby scattering people all over it and still leave lots of room to spare."

"Yes, of course, that does make a lot of sense," Sakaki/Tameni said slowly as it dawns on her.

That is when a large deer-like animal hurries across the road not more than a hundred feet from their bumper. It is brown with a large pair of antlers, making it a male. Don puts on the brakes, drastically cutting the speed as he honks the horn.

"What is that!?" Sakaki/Tameni asked.

"They're called, moose," Don grumbled as he resumes his speed. "That's moose. M-O-O-S-E, plural and singular. There are a lot of them on this island, and are not native here either. That's one of the problems living here. Each and every given year, dozens of cars and trucks collide with them. It's worse when cars are involved because the moose ends up falling across the front, endangering the occupant's life. But larger vehicles such as trucks, jeeps, and vans protect the driver because the moose won't fall across it when struck."

They continue driving onward without incident. Eventually they are entering St. John's.

"Welcome to St. John's, Tameni Jouryoku," Don announced as they now enter the city limits. "The capital of Newfoundland and Labrador. Population is roughly one hundred thousand, making it the largest city in the province in both size and population."

Sakaki/Tameni stares at the scenery before her. It's a city in every respects to the number of buildings and people, yet it doesn't seem so crowded. There are not as many tall buildings here either. The tallest of them are smaller than most of the buildings back in Tokyo. The houses don't look so compact either. Throughout the cities of Japan, the houses are compact and close together. Here there's more space between them. Again, each and every person she has seen so far are hakujin. She has yet to see one Oriental face.

In time though, as they drive further into the city, that starts changing. There are some people of Middle Eastern descent, some East Indians, some kokujin(Black people), and even Orientals. A group of five who appear to be Japanese stroll down a street. That group she stares at, but she doesn't recognize any of them.

"They're Japanese, aren't they," Don mused aloud, but with an edge of concern. He too had been eyeing them suspiciously, idly wondering if Sakaki/Tameni had recognized any of them. "They seem to look it. As you have just seen, not every person here is Caucasian. It only stands to reason that there will be some Japanese people here too. Although there is no large expatriate community here mind you."

They drive further, twisting and turning down the various streets, getting closer to the older part of the city as they head closer to the waterfront. Sakaki/Tameni keeps staring out the window at the passing scenery. Perhaps she had been a little hasty in believing that none of the houses are compact. In this section of the city, she starts seeing houses similar to the ones built in Tokyo. Compact and attached to one another. They are built to be as level as possibly upon the large hills that they are upon. There are also plenty of dogs and cats out around too, either in the yards or with their owners.

As they wait at a red light, Sakaki/Tameni sees something that makes her sit up and take notice. That being a cat perched upon a fence, a grey cat to be exact, looking lazily at them. It looks exactly like Kamineko. For a split second, she fancies that he had followed her all the way here from Japan. But that's ridiculous, this cat just happens to look like him. Yet it can easily be his identical twin. The light changes green and they drive away.

"There's the courthouse, Tameni," Don announced as he points at a large building of grey stone and concrete. It has imposing steps out front.

They find a parking spot at a shopping center nearest to the courthouse and the engine is switched off. They take a moment to reflect upon what is about to happen. Tension is building now, and Sakaki/Tameni's palms and groin tingle with expectation.

"First off, Tameni, we won't be getting married today because there's too much to do," Don said. "So we're just going in there to book an appointment to be married."

"Then when will we be married?" Sakaki/Tameni asked.

"Hopefully tomorrow," then Don's tone turns more serious. "Okay now, Tameni, listen very carefully. You are going to have to speak for yourself in there. If I did most or all of talking for you, they might start getting suspicious. The best thing in this situation is for you to improvise. It's very simple: keep calm and think very carefully about what you are going to say to them. They should be able to interpret it as you having a limited knowledge of English. But most importantly of all, you are Tameni Jouryoku to them."

They take a moment of silence for those instructions to sink in. Don uses that time to reach behind his seat to pull out a leather briefcase, explaining that it contains information that he needs to give to them.

But before they get out, Don glances at her hand. The new one that had grown back.

"Don't know what we're going to do about your hand though," he noted. "I think I was a little hasty in vanquishing your arm. I wish my intuition had come into play that time or else I wouldn't have done that. How many people have you ever seen without any fingernails? Because I never did . . . Hey, I know," and he reaches back behind his seat then fumbles around before pulling something out to hand to Sakaki. "Here, put this on." It's a simple white skintight velvet glove for that hand. "If anyone asks, tell them you scalded it."

Sakaki puts it on and they get out and walk up to the imposing courthouse. Inside, they go about the details concerning of who they are to see in order to get married. They are taken to one Judge Rose Pike, who sits with them to go over the details of the marriage. She is a middle-aged woman with greying brown hair and brown eyes with large glasses. She reminds Sakaki/Tameni of a middle-aged Caucasian version of Yomi.

"Is something wrong, my dear?" Judge Pike said to Sakaki/Tameni upon noticing that she looks to be on the verge of crying.

"Ah, sorry," Sakaki/Tameni sighed as she blushes. "I-It's just that I'm going to get married soon. I was so nervous that I had accidentally spilt a kettle of boiling water over my hand yesterday, scalding it." As she shows her the gloved hand.

"Oh I understand perfectly," Judge Pike smiled with a nod. "I felt the same way about getting married back then too."

"We're thinking of getting married tomorrow," Don said. "That is, if you're not busy with anything at that time."

"While I do have court to hold tomorrow morning and for much of the afternoon, I am free at three thirty P.M. How's that?"

"Is three thirty okay?" Don asked Sakaki/Tameni, who nods with uncertainty. "Yes, three thirty P.M. is fine."

"And what are your names?"

"John Donald Sky Smith," he answered clearly.

"Tameni Jouryoku," she answered just as clearly after him. The moment the judge asked for their names, this had mentally prepared Sakaki/Tameni to think before answering. Judge Pike asks for spelling and Sakaki/Tameni gives it to her.

"Do you have any documentation to give to me?" Judge Pike then asked.

Don picks up his leather briefcase and opens it to present the judge with the necessary paperwork. She looks it over to find everything seemingly in order.

"But what about you, Miss Jouryoku?" Judge Pike eyed her over her glasses. "Where's your documentation? There's nothing here about you."

Sakaki/Tameni's mind is racing over that. What can she say!?

"Hey honey?" Don whispered in a loving manner as he gently takes hold of Sakaki/Tameni's hand, then discreetly winks at her when she looks to him. "I know it's embarrassing for you, but you have to tell her of the circumstances that made you lose your documentation."

To further the act, Don gets up and tugs on her hand, urging her to follow. "Excuse us for a second," he whispered to the judge. Like a doting lover, he puts his arm around Sakaki/Tameni and walks her over to the furthest corner, then holds her close. He whispers in her ear in an affectionate manner in Japanese, even punctuating with pecks on her face and ears.

"This act should relax any suspicions she might be having. You seem to be very upset with what you did to your passport and other documentation. Wasn't there something about an uncle who was trying to marry you off to an unsavory character?"

Sakaki leans back to look up at him with a blank expression as she nods. Don hugs her once again and kisses her on her head and whispers into her ear, again in Japanese. "Then that's your cue."

They walk back up to the desk and sit as Don gives an okay gesture.

"I-I burned them," Sakaki/Tameni answered sheepishly. "I ran away from Japan because my uncle wanted me to marry some guy that I didn't like."

Judge Pike remains silent for a moment. A grave look crosses her face.

"I see," she said softly. "Then I take it that you're parents are not around to object?"

Sakaki/Tameni shakes her head slowly and gravely. She is afraid that the judge might press for details concerning the nonexistent uncle. Or worse, the details concerning her meeting Don.

"Well then," Judge Pike sighed. "All we need is for the both of you to sign a form agreeing to this marriage and everything will be ready tomorrow."

When the form is produced, Don signs it first so as to let Sakaki/Tameni realize what she is about to do. She can write English and carefully wrote, Tameni Jouryoku. It is a little difficult to do between the glove and lack of fingernails. Nails reinforces the tips of the digits. Once she managed to finish, Judge Pike finally signs her own name upon the witness line.

"If there's nothing further that you wish to discuss," Judge Pike said as she recaps the pen, "you may be on your way."

They thank her, with Sakaki/Tameni giving her a polite bow before leaving. Only when they get back inside the truck do they relax.

"That went well," Don said. "Adding the accident was a good idea too. I also knew that she was going to ask about the whereabouts of your documentation."

"Do you think she suspects anything, Don-kun?"

"Oh you bet she does. Being suspicious comes with the territory in her line of work. But I don't think that she's going to follow through because she believes that it might endanger you. And even if she wanted to, she won't know where to begin, since you gave her a phony name in there. Which by the way, she would've already figured out. Then throw into this the fact that you left Japan in a manner that no one else would've expected."

Sakaki/Tameni doesn't feel reassured as it gives her the feeling that she's about to be exposed.

"In all of the years that I have lived," Don said gently as he clasps her shoulder, "I have come to learn that there will always be situations that you cannot fully control. All you can really do is put as much effort into a situation so that it might go your way. Now then," as he let go of her and starts the engine, "we have a busy day ahead of us. First off, we go and find a place to stay for the night. Then we go shopping for some decent clothing that will make us look good for the wedding. I will even take you around the place after we finish shopping. First off, let's go and get something to eat. I happen to know a wonderful restaurant where the ribs are so succulent that you can suck the meat off the bones."

The rest of the day is simply one of preparations. After finding a cheap motel, they book two rooms. Next comes shopping for new clothes and even a set of wedding rings. Then they relax and enjoy the sights of St. John's. They go to Signal Hill, an important historical spot for Newfoundland and Labrador. Next they go out to Cape Spear.

"This is the most easterly point in Canada," Don explained to Sakaki/Tameni. "And like Japan, the sun rises over the ocean. Except that's the Atlantic Ocean instead of the Pacific Ocean."

"So does this province also bear the title, the land of the rising sun?"

"I think that title belongs to Greenland, the largest island on Earth. It's a glacier-covered island directly to the north. Denmark owns it."

"Don-kun, since we are going to be married tomorrow, how do you feel about it?"

"Feel about what?"

Sakaki/Tameni does a brief look around to see if anyone might be too close. There are sightseers out today, but they're further away from them. "You were married one time, and for a very long one too. Sarah Banner would have left an impression on you after all that time."

"But we did get divorced, remember? Our love simply died after our extremely long time together. We did keep in touch though, and even remained lovers. Napoleon and Josephine were not the only two exs to remain lovers. I did grieve for her for a time and I still miss her too. But I managed to move on. I did have relationships with other women eventually, but none of them were what we are." Don is careful to discuss things of this nature. In the centuries that he has lived, it made him wary about the possibility that people around have sharp ears. "And it's obvious what eventually became of them."

"So when I've adjusted enough," Sakaki/Tameni said in a casual tone, "we'll then divorce and each go our separate ways? Whether we once loved each other or not?"

"Yes," he said in a soft and casual manner, then strokes her head, pushing her hair back momentarily. "I'm sorry that it has to be that way, Tameni. But you're still young, having only recently discovered yourself. As time goes by, you will come to understand," then holds her close and whispers into her ear. "But until that day comes at some point in the future, I will help you establish a foundation from which you can work from. Maybe we'll feel something for each other, or maybe we won't. Either way, we will inevitable split up. If in a hundred years from now."

"So be it," Sakaki/Tameni whispered back in acceptance. It did seem harsh to her and she feels conflict between wanting to either love him or be pragmatic about it as he is now being.

At twilight, they return to their motel rooms. The next day they get up to do some last minute preparations. That afternoon, they get ready and return to the courthouse. Don is dressed in simple black dress pants and shoes with a simple blue turtleneck with a grey blazer, while Sakaki/Tameni is dressed in a simple powder blue short sleeved dress with ruffles at her sleeves with a low-cut neck to show some cleavage, with a corsage pinned to it. Simple dress shoes adorn her feet. They are dressed more like guests for a wedding rather than their own wedding.

When the time comes, they go into the courtroom to be wedded before Judge Pike. The law states that there has to be at least four people in order to have a wedding: the two intended spouses; the person marrying them; and a witness. Not only is there a court bailiff present to be a witness, but also a photographer with all of his equipment set up.

"Hmm, right on time," the judge said as if sitting in judgement. "Though I do understand why Miss Jouryoku cannot produce any people to show up at the wedding, I'm a little surprised that you didn't either, Mr. Smith."

"That," Don began with a sigh, "is complicated."

Judge Pike blinks for a moment at his statement. "Fine then," she said with a kindly smile as she begins shuffling papers, "let's get this wedding over with. Do you have any special vows you wish to make?"

"No, make the usual traditional vows," Don answered.

"Do you have the rings?"

"Right here," Don said as he takes his out. Sakaki/Tameni also takes hers out to show as well.

"Then let us begin," Judge Pike said formally. "Do you, John Donald Sky Smith, take Tameni Jouryoku to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold? For richer for poorer? For better or for worse? In sickness and in health? For as long as you remain devoted to her?" Adding that last part since she has suspicions about the wedding from the beginning.

"I do," Don answered.

"And do you, Tameni Jouryoku, take John Donald Sky Smith to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold? For richer for poorer? For better or for worse? In sickness and in health? For as long as you remain devoted to him?"

"I do," Sakaki/Tameni answered.

"Then if there are no objections," as she briefly eyed the bailiff and photographer, both of whom merely stand with poker faces, "I hearby pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Sakaki/Tameni feels her heart leap a bit and turns to face Don, who then kisses her on the lips. It is a pleasant kiss.

"I'm sure the both of you want to be on your way, but there are a few things to straighten out," Judge Pike spoke up, putting them at attention once again. "That being the right of citizenship for you, Tameni Jouryoku. Since you are now married to Mr. Smith, that automatically makes you a Canadian and an American citizen since he holds dual citizenship to both countries. If you will just be seated over there, Mrs. Smith, we can finalize this. If that is what you wish to be known as?"

"Actually we agreed that I can keep my last name," Sakaki/Tameni spoke up, feeling a strange bout of confidence now.

"Very well then, Mrs. Jouryoku, if you will just be seated over there for your picture to be a part of the citizen registration."

Sakaki/Tameni stands before the camera and gives that shy smile of hers. Her picture is taken and is allowed to move now. With it being computerized, it only takes a moment for the registration to be completed. Afterwards, she signs her name, remembering well to use, Tameni Jouryoku. Once the registration is complete, two copies are made: one for the court and one for her. Another picture is taken, this time of Sakaki/Tameni and Don together as their wedding photo, then are let on their way.

They are now sitting in the truck once again.

"So now what, Don-kun?" Sakaki/Tameni asked.

"Now we go on a little honeymoon before returning to my cabin, Sakaki," he answered using her original name, showing that he will call her that for as long as there's nobody else around. "But not for long. I've already been living on this island for twenty years in various places. When fall comes, we'll be moving."

"And where will we be moving to next, Don-kun?"

"Somewhere in the United States. I have lived throughout Canada for the past ninety years." Then starts up the engine and they drive away.

Sakaki feels wonderment over his answer. America! She is going to go to America soon! The mightiest nation on Earth. The nation her country tried to pick a fight with during World War Two, only to get nuked twice for their troubles. Now, they are friends.

She knows that this is how it will be for her. Moving around when the time comes for them to move. Going somewhere far. Then the day will come when they will go their separate ways (once she has built up a foundation as Don had explained to her). This will be for the rest of her life.

Her eternal life.


	9. Chapter 8

They travel to various places across Newfoundland. From Lanse aux Meadows up on the northern tip of the Northern Peninsula; to Cape St. George on the Port aux Port Peninsula in the west; to Port aux Basque in the southwestern most corner of the province; and down to St. Lawrence on the Burin Peninsula. At Lanse aux Meadows, they visit the replica of the Norse settlement that had been built there around the year one thousand. Don remembered the Norse well, and had even fought an immortal one, a man, in nine hundred and fifty. He is impressed that the facts are right about them, even verifying it so to Sakaki whenever they are alone together. Sakaki for her part had learned about the Vikings in high school. About how they had been the first ones to reach North America roughly five hundred years before Christopher Columbus.

Don and Sakaki even travel up to Labrador by ferry to have a look at the interior. The whole trip lasts for two weeks and they soon return to his cabin.

"I had a wonderful time traveling over this province, Don-kun," Sakaki said softly as she enters the cabin behind him. "I really enjoyed it."

"It was only fitting since we'll be living here until the fall, Sakaki," he answered. "Also, I want your head clear so that you can begin your training tomorrow."

As night falls, Sakaki notices Don making no intentions to sleep on the floor as he is now getting into his own bed. For the past two weeks, they slept in separate beds wherever they stayed. They never even so much as kissed.

"Am I to sleep on the floor now?" She asked suspiciously.

"No," he said quietly. "We're husband and wife now, Sakaki."

"Don-kun," she whispered gently as she walks over to him. "Does this mean that you're feelings for me has grown?"

He sighs deeply as he rubs his face then cradles her own in his hands. "When Sarah and I divorced after one hundred years of matrimony, I thought that I could never love another woman again," he said tenderly. "That is why we remained lovers from time to time. Then she was vanquished and I was left all alone once again for several hundred years. Then you came along."

"But it was like you said," Sakaki cooed. Her eyes looking as if a man might drown in them. "You were both married for one hundred years, then your love faded away and died. Even though you would be intimate with each other on and off, you never truly got back together again."

"You're right about that," he sighed as he lowers his head. "However, if you recall, she was two hundred years older than me and already well established with herself."

"What attracted you to her in the first place?"

"I cannot deny that it was her immortality that played a huge role. Yet it was more than just her being that. Beneath her steeled exterior, lay a gentleness. She was both strong and soft at the same time."

"And what of me?"

"You have that similar temperament like she had. But unlike her, you're a newly-minted immortal who's young enough to be my distant descendant. Someone whom I can help and guide."

Sakaki nods and takes a step back, then does a deep bow. "Please take care of me."

She steps forward and they kiss deeply. Don discovers that same soft but hard passion about her that Sarah had. This is a woman who buries her emotions. Such women are intense with their passion when it's coaxed out of them. Sakaki finds him to be powerful yet gentle as he stokes her passion. It feels as if she might be incinerated.

It is some time before they get any sleep as they are intent on enjoying the thorough consummation of their marriage. Sakaki screeches whenever she climaxes.

They get up early that morning before sunrise. This is to be done on an empty stomach because hunger allows for focus in physical events. So they both only go to use the toilet and fix their hair before dressing only in shorts, with Sakaki wearing one of Don's pairs (although she is also wearing one of several pairs of sports brassieres that she had brought). With the simpler saber in Sakaki's hand, and Don with his more elegant one, they go outside. Sakaki, being a gentle woman, feels uneasy over having to use a sword.

"Here is something that you should do," Don said as he holds his sword aloft. That is when a light glow surrounds it.

"Wha-What did you just do!?" Sakaki asked.

"I simply thought about this glow and it surrounded the sword. It can surround anything you wield that has iron in it. That glow makes it indestructible, just like our skeletons. Now you do it. It's like flipping on a switch."

Sakaki focuses on such a glow and it immediately surrounds her sword.

"Very good, Sakaki. Only immortals can see it, by the way. Now then, let's begin."

The air is still and mild, though a touch of coolness lingers in the air. It is mostly clear, yet a haze hangs across the sky. The eastern horizon is blood red, giving rise to the mariner's rote: red sky in the morning, sailors take warning. Yet Don won't allow a looming disagreement with the weather to prevent him from giving her the lessons. In fact, he had explained to her that there might be a chance of her fighting another immortal during a tempest. That and they're not going to catch a cold.

Warrior and apprentice face each other. They both do their mutual small bow and take their stances with their swords held aloft, staring the other down. Sakaki's expression is more uneasy than Don's, who looks like a wolf about to attack. All around them is the mixed forest nestled in the weathered ancient mountains. Birds chirp and ravens scream. Some even nestle on branches nearby, as if eager to watch the sparring match about to unfold. The air is still and calm and a light rain begins falling. The tension is thick, as if nature is holding its breath.

Don attacks without warning. He quickly yet brutally slashes Sakaki across her eyes, causing blood and fluids to spill. In short, blinding her. Then follows up with a slash to her throat. Next come her arms, legs, breasts, and stomach. Her mutilated breasts spilt out, along with her intestines. The slashes to her torso are deep enough for her to be frozen. Don knows this and with a huge graceful flurry, he hacks off both her arms at the shoulders and legs halfway up her thighs, causing them to disappear in an instance and for Sakaki to fall onto her back. The whole attack lasted several seconds.

There she lies, looking as if she had been done up for a horror movie. Throughout it all, none of the wounds had hurt. Finally, she unfreezes and the grievous wounds begin disappearing. Within a period of ten seconds, she returns to normal, though her limbs take a little longer. With the exception of her shredded brassiere, she looks no different from the second before Don's ruthless attack. Never mind that she is now smeared with blood, along with the other fluids smearing her face.

She lies there for a moment with her eyes now wide with shock over the speed of the brutal attack. For a split second, she wanted to berate him. They are husband and wife, and had just made love last night for the first time! Yet she refrains from doing so as she is going to be all right now. It had been the mortal equivalent of having a dual in full protective gear. Once her limbs fully regenerate, she slowly stands.

"That was just to show you what to expect when you go up against another immortal," he said casually. "But they would have chopped through your neck instead of your limbs."

"You are a hard teacher, Don-kun," Sakaki said uneasily.

"I have to be," he said simply. "Especially since we're both immortals. Though I can tell that you're a natural athlete. You have long and shapely strong limbs and torso, so you have an edge to help you. Okay, now the lessons truly begin. I will not vanquish your limbs ever again, you have my word on that. First off, I want you to be as brutal upon me as I had been upon you. No, I demand it! The only thing you are not to do is chop me in half after you have frozen me." He then grins ruefully. "But trust me, you will not be able to freeze me."

"May I put a new brassiere on first?" Sakaki asked as she fingers a shred of it as her large breasts with her large nipples stand stoutly out.

"Very well then," he answered. "And I'll also try not shredding your brassieres either."

For the rest of the morning, the lessons continue. She is taught the basics such as the stance, the defense, and the offense. Despite Don's insistence, Sakaki finds it hard to be ruthless with her attacks. Even so, she has a hard time trying to nick his torso, let alone slash or stab him. Each and every time she makes a mistake, he shows it by stabbing her. The sword play is actually fencing since the goal of either immortal is to stab the other, something that fencing emphasizes, so that one of them can be frozen then chopped in half, usually through decapitation.

"But can't an immortal vanquish another immortal by just simply chopping through their torso without needing to stab them in the first place?" Sakaki asked him at one point. "Surely that immortal will have already been frozen before the blade reaches their backbone?"

"Realistically, you're right," Don answered. "You will be able to vanquish an immortal without needing to stab them by simply chopping through their torso with a sharp enough sword in just one strong enough swipe. After all, we are frozen the instance the muscle tissue is complete penetrated. But . . . I did not manage to live these fourteen hundred years by even attempting that. Simply because not only will the other immortal not allow that, but any attempt to do that will leave you wide open, even if it's only for one second. Because that's all the time it takes for any skilled sword fighter to stab you. So it has to be stab, then chop. Understand? Stab, then chop."

"Understood. But what if the other immortal is wearing armor or bearing a shield?"

"No immortal will ever wear armor nor bear a shield when they're confronting another immortal. For some odd reason, we will immediately feel intense distress and will end up needing to discard them. I should know. Back when I confronted that immortal Viking, we were both armored. It felt as if my skin were going to explode and only when I ripped off my chainmail and other bits of armor did I manage to feel better. The same went for him as he threw down his shield and removed his helm."

"What if both immortals managed to stab each other at the same time?"

"They'll cancel each other out. Anotherwords, they won't freeze each other. It happened to me with the last immortal that I fought. And something else happens too when an immortal is frozen." He then emphasizes this by stabbing her once again in order to freeze her.

Don then effortlessly lifts her with one hand and sets her down once again. This time he pushes her, but something extremely odd now happens. Without augmenting his strength, he needed to put considerable effort against her before she finally topple over like a statue! It's as if her feet had been glued to the ground! Even though she had not shown any signs of being stuck to the ground in the first place! Nor had she felt any strain being placed upon herself as he attempted to push her down! He then picks her up and places her back upon her feet, where she stands once again without threatening to fall over.

Sakaki finally unfreezes and stares at Don with bewilderment.

"Wha-What just happened!?" She exclaimed softly.

"When an immortal gets frozen," Don answered, "they become geo-locked for that duration."

"Geo-locked?"

"Ah, it's just something I made up," he shrugged as he shakes his head. "It's my way of telling you that we're hard to knock over when frozen. That way it makes it easy to vanquish the frozen immortal without having them falling over before you can effectively vanquish them."

"It's almost as if we immortals are meant to battle each other," Sakaki concluded.

"I know," Don said reflectively.

They continue with the training. The rain is falling even harder now and this time the rumble of thunder carries through the air. Next comes a flash of sheet lightening, causing Sakaki to worry.

"I've been directly struck by lightening dozens of times," Don assured her. Saying no more since it is obvious.

The practice continues as the storm increases. The lightening becomes ever brighter and more frequent, and the thunder louder and sooner. The rain is now falling like a waterfall, drenching them both. But the lesson still doesn't stop, even as blue ribbons of lightening seem to split the sky, answered by explosions of thunder in an instance.

It's at that moment when a bolt of lightening strikes the ground between them. An explosion of light appears before their eyes and they feel the intense heat of the bolt in that instance. An explosion of thunder makes their ears ring as they both fall from the massive amount of electricity that flow through them.

Sakaki and Don stare at the ground. She is dumbstruck while he is merely annoyed; yet both are breathing heavily. If they had been mortal, they would have been dead.

"I-I think that's enough for now," Don finally answered, then holds her close as they share a deep kiss. There is a tingle of leftover electricity in them. "Let's have some breakfast and wait until the storm has blown over."

Sakaki nods and they return inside to change out of their wet clothing. The storm keeps up its rage as the rain keeps falling hard. Their breakfast is of toast and muffins, with milk and juice to drink.

"So how was I, Don-kun?" Sakaki asked before biting into a muffin.

"Nobody can become a master in one day," Don smirked with a shrug as he holds a slice of toast. "Although what I am about to say to you is the absolute truth," as his tone turned respectful while giving her a firm look. "You were a little bit better on your first session than I was on mine."

Sakaki beams. That had to be the height of all compliments. Yet she knows that she still has a very long way to go if she is to even attempt to come so much as halfway close to her husband's skill.

"Since the storm is still going on," Don said amorously as he snuggles up to Sakaki after finishing his toast, then kisses her, making her smile and blush. "Why don't we pass some of the time away?"

By afternoon, the storm begins passing over, yet it is still raining. After a small lunch, they pick up where they had left off with the swords. Even as the sun is setting, they continue. It clears a little by then. The red and orange rays of the sun cast through the layered yellowed clouds, giving the whole scene a surreal appearance. They continue until twilight grows too dim.

And this is how it continues to be over the entire summer. Early to bed and back when twilight grows dim. It isn't all sword play as it also includes intensive regular exercise. Things like balancing on a beam with a rod across her shoulders with either end weighed down with buckets of water. There is also swimming up a river, climbing a rock face, running while carrying a boulder in her arms or a knapsack filled with rocks on her back. Even though she is a natural athlete, she still finds them to be extremely difficult to perform and ends up frequently faltering. With the rock-climbing, there is no sort of equipment to help her, just her bare hands. Many a time she falls from heights that mortally injure normal people.

But Don keeps goading her to continue with these tasks. He even displays his own prowess at them as he does them all before her with ridiculous ease, due to enhancing his strength and stamina. Sakaki learns that despite being immortal, she can still get tired, and still take just as long to recover. Although the soreness from the lactic acid in her muscles is always extremely quick to go away. Don assures her that as more essence accumulates within her, she will be able to will it forth to augment her stamina and strength levels. Except this way, she will gain the extra edge if she increases her strength and stamina by natural means.

Yet it's not all grueling work as there are just the usual wood-chopping and other easier chores. With the wood-chopping, Don explains that it will help sharpen her reflexes and strengthen her arms and wrists. And as always, more fencing sessions. There are times when they go into the nearest town to buy more supplies. When it comes to the issue of money, Don does have some stashed away since he had been able to pay for a five-hundred thousand-dollar vase in the first place.

* * *

It's night time and a cool breeze is blowing off the Atlantic Ocean. Fall will soon be setting in. A tall muscular man of mixed Black and Arab ancestry sporting a beard and no-nonsense haircut steps out of the St. John's Airport, carrying a cello case and knapsack. He is an immortal as his eyes reflect more than what a single lifetime could reflect within his ageless face. He calls himself simply, the Hunter. Whatever alias he uses is strictly for convenience as he is aloof from them, not trying to make them his own. He has been around as long as his religion, Islam.

He hails a taxi cab and is driven to a hotel. Along the way, he reflects upon his hunch for being here, since they are the ones that guide him. No, he believes that it is Allah's will that guides him. It can only mean that there might be an immortal on this island. Whoever they are, he will find them.

Or more specifically, hunt them.

Almost from the day he had been turned into an immortal, he considers it his most sacred duty to vanquish any immortal who are neither a Muslim nor a proper one. He reflects that Allah had clearly touched him to do His will all those centuries ago to exterminate such immortals, because their mere existence is the ultimate blasphemy. It really doesn't matter that new ones keep appearing, for they won't continue to keep appearing as far as he is concerned. His belief is that the time will come, as his Koran dictates, that the Day of Judgement will happen. Allah will judge absolutely every single human being that had ever lived. Those specific immortals will be thrown into Hell where they will suffer the greatest torment of all for eternity.

But until that anointed day, he will continue hunting them down one-by-one, God willing.

He didn't hunt during Ramadan nor on a Friday (an exception is made for either whenever he unintentionally crossed paths with one, as he had sometimes done). Currently, he had vanquished ninety-nine of them, and not all of them were heathens. Twenty of them had been lapsed Muslims. He had yet to meet another immortal who is a devote Muslim like himself. The next vanquishing will be his one hundredth kill. Nothing special really, just a casual milestone.

During his centuries of hunting, he has come to see a pattern to hunting them. He never knows exactly where to go, he just simply wanders from one place to another where some clue is provided that points him in the right direction to find another clue to lead him to yet another clue, and so on, and so forth. Until he confronts either a heathen or lapsed Muslim immortal.

The Hunter shakes those idle thoughts from his mind. He needed to focus and pay attention to any clues that might come his way. Let the hunt begin as it has always gone on. And, God willing, always will.

* * *

Sakaki is chopping a thin post stuck into the ground with her sword. It is now well over three months since she had been turned into an immortal. It is a hot and clear day as the sweat drips from her, saturating her shorts and brassiere. With a yell and determined expression, she swings and hacks off a piece of wood. There are already various smaller pieces on the ground around her. As Don had taught her, she focused upon a point just past the opposite side of where she swung her sword toward. The goal, Don had further explained, is to hack off a whole piece with a single blow; claiming that if she can do that then she will be able to decapitate her foe with a single stroke. So far she had not been doing a very good job as it still takes her two hacks to chop off a piece.

This is also their last day here at his cabin. Everything is packed away and they are ready to leave at a moment's notice. Sakaki had also accumulated things for herself. Things of a cute nature such as stuffed animals and pictures of baby animals, especially kittens. Don remarked about that one time, and Sakaki explained, with some embarrassment, that she liked cute things.

Don comes out of the cabin, shirtless, to watch. He smirks as it was actually a little prank that he had played. A man's neck is actually easier to chop through with a single swipe than that thin post. He just wanted Sakaki to take the matter of decapitation seriously. Although if she both lives long enough and keeps up her training, she will be able to effortlessly chop a piece off with only one swipe and one arm, like he can.

"Okay, you can take a break for now," he called as he claps once.

"Thank you, Don-kun," Sakaki smiled as she lowers her sword and wipes the sweat from her brow. She picks up her scabbard and sheathes her sword.

"Tomorrow we leave for America," he said as he comes up behind her and caresses her neck.

"Where exactly in America?" Sakaki sighed sleepily with a smile.

"Perhaps to Wyoming. I have yet to live in that state. The closest seashore is several hundred miles away."

"What is that in kilometers?" The Japanese use the Metric System.

"Over one thousand kilometers."

"It's amazing how there are places on Earth that can be so far from the ocean," Sakaki mused. "In Japan, the furthest point from the ocean is roughly one hundred and twenty kilometers inland. Have you found a buyer for the cabin?"

"No, I want us to slip away like thieves in the night," Don explained as he pauses in caressing her. "That way there's no record of our departure. Although between canceling the Internet subscription and our mail that will mean we're moving away to the locals. But at least they won't know where we're going exactly."

True to Don's word, they get up at dawn the next day to get ready to leave. There is little for them to do other than use the bathroom and have breakfast. Then they are off.

As they get sight of the first turnoff, they now see a man standing in the middle of the road up ahead, holding a sword. Both quickly exchange looks, surprise on Sakaki's face and grim consideration on Don's. Neither say anything because they are both getting that same feeling from the stranger.


	10. Chapter 9

_When the Hunter arrived in St. John's, the first clue he received concerned a large stone courthouse where he went inside. The next thing he did is look at the names of the various people working there upon a tall board. Two separate names, one given and one a surname, stood out to him: John and Smith. He went up to the information desk and inquired if a John Smith had ever come here. The receptionist asked him to be more specific since a lot of English men bore the name, John Smith, as it's practically a generic name._

_The Hunter noticed the marriage ring on her finger, then thought to ask if a John Smith had recently gotten married here. When she did a search, she came up with one John Donald Sky Smith who had recently married a Japanese woman named Tameni Jouryoku in a simple and private civil affair. No sooner had the Hunter heard that man's full name when his gut feeling screamed at him that he is the one. It's almost as strong as that feeling from other immortals. He then asked where to find him and got the name of the town and the Post Office Box. The Hunter thanked her and left, looking for a means of transportation to drive him there._

_Again his gut feeling comes into play when he passes a house. A car out front with a for sale sign stating that it's only two thousand dollars, cash up front. After withdrawing some money from a local ATM, he went to see about that car and is soon driving away in it. After consulting a map of Newfoundland, he finds just where the town with his prey is at and drives all the way up there._

_It is evening as the Hunter comes to that town, pondering where to look next. First off, he drives through the town until he got another clue as to where he must go. That is when he comes upon the local post office. Again this is his clue to go inside, where he asks about the location of John Donald Sky Smith. The clerk tells him that he lives in a cabin outside of town with his Japanese wife. He receives fairly straightforward directions, along with the sort of truck John drives. The Hunter thanks the clerk and goes on his way. Directions now come into play instead of clues._

_He turns down one dirt road but the next one proves to be more rugged, and his car is not made for that kind of road. So he simply parks it by the side of the road and prepares, changing into another set of clothes like his own, except these are green and it includes a brimless cap. From out of his cello case, comes a scimitar within a scabbard that has a hook on it for his belt. The next thing he does though is take out his prayer rug and set it down, certain to face Mecca, and pray for the fifth time today._

_When he finishes, he rolls it up and tucks it underneath his arm then hooks his sword into his belt. He strolls down that road until he comes upon another dirt road that is more like a trail. This is the final clue and he knows it intently. He only needs to walk a short distance before he comes upon the truck that matches the description. A look in through the back window of the box shows boxes of stuff. This can only mean that they are ready to move away at a moment's notice._

_The centuries of stalking and vanquishing his prey has tempered the Hunter, so he is not simply going to rush up there and attempt to vanquish John Donald Sky Smith. No, there is no need to when he is simply going to come down that trail the next morning. This the Hunter is certain of. But as for the wife . . . ? Well that can prove problematic. It's getting increasingly difficult to get away with killing a mortal in this day and age._

_The Hunter simply spreads out his prayer rug and removes his shoes to lie curled upon it. And there he sleeps. Between the mildness of the night and the inability of the cold to annoy him, he is able to do so. Not once does he get up to so much as pace. Every now and again, he awakens and notes that it's still dark before allowing himself to drift back to sleep. The next time he awakens, a tendril of dawn is in the east. It's almost time and he makes his first prayer of the day before he gets up and stands there. Waiting as he uses his essence to enhance his hearing as keenly as a dolphin's._

_He doesn't have long to wait before he can hear the opening of a door off in the distance. At normal hearing, he wouldn't have heard a thing. But he can even hear them talking! The door is heard closing and the clink of a lock can be heard. Their footfalls grow ever louder until the sound of a truck door can be heard opening twice, then slamming twice. He let go of his enhancement._

_Next comes the sound of the engine starting off in the distance. He removes his scabbard from his belt and unsheathes his sword, gracefully twirling it in his hand, then drops the scabbard. Now he is ready to confront that heathen immortal and send him to Hell. Hopefully his wife will die in an unfortunate car accident too._

_The truck finally comes around the bend and the Hunter receives a surprise. Both are immortal! But the centuries of discipline makes him conquer his sense of surprise as quickly as he had felt it. This solves the problem of the wife perfectly. He will now be able to send two heathen immortals to Hell for the very first time, after confronting only one immortal at a time over his lifetime._

"Do you know him!?" Sakaki gasped.

"Never met him before!" Don answered grimly as he momentarily uses his essence to enhance his vision to get a good look at the stranger. "Don't know how he found out about us nor do I care! Though he must have well-developed intuition! The point is, I'm in no mood for a dual!" Then guns the engine while snarling that last part defiantly, intent on running the immortal down to make a getaway.

The Hunter expected this to happen the moment they came into view. In fact, he is looking forward to it because now he can show these heathen immortals the power he now has. Squeezing every bit of his essence forth, the Hunter rushes forward and jumps; with a shout of God is Great in arabic, he lashes out with his bare foot in a powerful thrust kick.

The combination of his normally indestructible skeleton and the essence he built up over both the centuries he has lived and all those immortals he had vanquished, causes mind-numbing devastation to the front of the truck. The impact is the equivalent of being shot at point blank range with a large caliber shell made of depleted uranium.

Don and Sakaki get violent slammed forward as they have yet to put on their seatbelts, causing the airbags to deploy. The dashboard gets shifted forward. Don instantly squeezes as much of his own essence forth to enhance his own strength. With a yell, he shoves his portion of the dashboard forward then rips off the steering wheel, column and all, with an upward shove, sending it through the windshield. He immediately turns around in his seat to kick the door off its hinges using both his feet. Like lightening, he slips out and turns to rip down the seat, violently pushing Sakaki forward. He grabs his case and tears it open, not bothering to carefully open it, to pull out his sword, showing that its scabbard has a cross shoulder strap. With the scabbard quickly discarded and his sword now aglow, he is ready for the fight of his life.

While Don was doing all of this, the Hunter is casually pulling his foot out of the truck's now demolished front and turns to lean against it. He lifts his foot and shears the sole off down to the bone. His sword gliding over bone like glass over diamond. It's to get any pieces of metal and plastic out of his foot. Not that it's really necessary since an immortal's body will reject foreign objects that are embedded deeply into them. That piece of skin vanishes the moment upon separation from his body. New skin begins growing back very rapidly.

"Sakaki, get out of here!" Don yelled as he holds his sword aloft, stealing glances at her. "You're not ready for someone like him just yet!"

"I'm stuck, Don-kun!" She yelled. She is effectively sandwiched between the dashboard and the seat and she cannot budge it. "And even if I weren't, I don't think I can leave you!"

"You should be more worried about yourself, kafir," the Hunter said in a deep and steady voice while stepping around the front of the truck to face Don, swinging his now glowing sword around for a bit to show off his skill. Kafir means heathen, infidel, unbeliever, denier, or faithless in arabic. His foot now looks no worse for wear as not even calluses will adorn an immortal's skin. The grating and the engine on the other hand are demolished beyond repair.

"I am almost fourteen hundred years immortal," the Hunter continues piously, "and have vanquished ninety-nine immortals during that time. God willing, you are about to be number one hundred."

"Oh really?" Don said snidely. "Well I've been around a bit longer than you and have only met four other immortals before her, three of which I vanquished in self-defense. It only goes to show just how greedy you are for essence."

"That essence really comes directly from Allah and is but a bonus that he gives to me for each unworthy immortal that I vanquish to Hell," the Hunter spoke fervently. "I was blessed by Him so that I may do His will in vanquishing all kafir and weak Muslim immortals. And I will continue to do this until the Day of Judgement, if He so wills it. The mere existence of such immortals is a most horrific blasphemy. And even though Allah allows your kind to exist, it is only for so long because you can still be vanquished by another immortal. It is His way of ending your existence."

"Bravo, what a speech. Now who are you? Or better still, what name do you currently go by?"

"I am merely the Hunter who has come to send both you and your wife to Hell."

"So I'm to take it that you've also vanquished immortal women?" Don asked sarcastically.

"Yes, I do not discriminate," the Hunter said in a mock noble tone.

"Did any of them happen to have blond wavy hair and green eyes?" Don asked in an offhanded manner, not really expecting him to have actually vanquished Sarah.

"Yes, I did vanquish an immortal woman with that description," the Hunter answered casually. "It was in the year, thirteen sixty-one, by the Western calendar."

Don instantly takes on an expression that might cower a wolf, even if the Hunter isn't phased. With a fierce snarl and yell, Don lunges and clashes swords with the Hunter.

"So I see," the Hunter grinned in understanding.

The dual starts in earnest as swords wave around, each intent on sticking the other so that they may vanquish them. Don can feel just how strong the Hunter is. Fortunately, the Hunter needs to keep his concentration if he is to remain that strong throughout the fight. Something that can't be effectively done when one is putting their own life on the line. Nonetheless, for the first time in fourteen hundred years, Don is now truly in for the fight of his life.

Sakaki can only watch helplessly as Don clashes swords with this immortal radical Muslim. She watches skill put to the test and already understands that she truly is no match for the Hunter. Radical Muslims are bad enough, but an immortal one is the most chilling thing to ever contemplate. And here one is, trying to vanquish Don, then herself, because he views them as unworthy to continue living simply for not being Muslims! In a fortunate way, he doesn't concern himself with the rest of the world like other Islamists, such as Osama bin Laden does. Because if this Hunter ever did, he would have been a force for the world to reckon with!

Back and forth Don and the Hunter move all over the road with a speed and grace that no mortal human can ever attain. A lack of shoes is a nonissue for the Hunter as he may as well be fighting with a comfortable pair of shoes on. There are a flurry of attacks and parries, counters and counter counters. Each trying to get that one moment where the other might miss a beat and leave their self dangerously open. All it can take is a second to end a potentially eternal life.

In the meantime, Sakaki struggles to get herself out of that seat. That is when she remembers what Don had told her. The essence augments all of an immortal's physical and mental attributes. The mental part is automatic and permanent, but the physical part involves having to keep one's concentration. She concentrates on strength, on becoming strong enough to push forward. Nothing. She has not lived long enough to have built up enough essence to have it be of any use to her yet.

Nevertheless, Sakaki grits her teeth and pushes with all of the strength that she can muster. Then does bursts of violent shoves, accenting with controlled and icy yells, to get it moving. Slowly, ever so slowly, it budges. It's still not enough for her to slide out though.

Wait! The seat behind her is what is pinning her! In his desperation, Don had slammed it forward, causing it to jam and effectively pin her between it and the dashboard. Then if she can just push herself backward instead of forward, she might be able to get out of this.

Sakaki pours forth her effort and pushes in the opposite direction with her body. It begins to budge little by little. With one more violent shove and shriek, she manages to break the seat and ends up shoving herself backward. She looks up to see that the battle is still raging. Neither looks to be getting the upper hand.

There is nothing that she can do, knowing she will only end up getting in the way. And seeing just how skillful this Hunter is, he will only end up skewering her first. Nevertheless, she needs to be ready to fight for her life. Her other sword is packed in the back and she hurries out to open the back. Once inside, she begins tearing open the larger boxes due to her sword's length. Every now and again, she glances outside to see how the battle is going. Again, neither are getting the upper hand.

She finally finds her sword and hurries outside. No sooner does she get both feet on the ground before she hears the Hunter yelling, God is Great, like a lion's roar. She looks in time to see him cleaving Don neatly in two, from crown to tailbone with one huge quick overhead stroke as easily as if he is a sheet of paper.

Don vanishes. There is neither flash, noise, ashes, smoke, nor mist. He just simply, vanishes; faster than Sakaki can blink. Only his sword and now torn clothes are left as they fall to the ground where his sword clatters. The Hunter instantly doubles over as he grunts, then straightens while chanting God is Great fervently several times.

Sakaki at first gaped in disbelief, only to be overwhelmed with a mixture of horror and grief that shows in her expression. She feels as if she had been kicked in the stomach and doubles over as her legs grow weak and she collapses. She tries to scream, but all that comes out is a choke. Tears flood her vision now as she knows that it's all over for her.

The Hunter slowly turns to her as he sports a stoic sneer, giving her the look of someone who will vanquish her as surely as he had vanquished her husband.

Ice-cold rage fills Sakaki. If she is going to be vanquished then so be it. But she will go down fighting. Desperately she fumbles for the hilt of her sword and pulls it out as she gets to her feet, then holds it up to face him. She has a murderous glare. With her looks, it seems to be made all the more frightening.

"I'll kill you!" She screeched with an icy bellow.

"You are most certainly welcomed to try," the Hunter said casually as he just stands there with his arms wide. He then places them down by his side, the sword tip resting into the dirt and his hand resting on the pommel.

Sakaki's eerie grimace grows more intense and with a scream she runs toward him with her sword drawn back, intent on running him through. Yet she realizes that she is forgetting something important. When the tip of her blade gets close enough to him, he simply grabs the blade and tightens his grip.

"Pathetic," he said contemptuously.

Sakaki tries to pull her sword away, but he keeps a firm grip. His grip keeps increasing and blood begins running down his arm. There is a cracking sound and the blade shatters like glass, leaving the blade half its former length. Sakaki now remembers that she had forgotten to enhance the blade with a glow. She stumbles backward, but he is quick to grab her hands, effectively trapping them. He increases his grip on them. To Sakaki, it feels as if a car is parked over them. But they are not going to be crushed, no matter how much pressure he is capable of applying. The Hunter just wanted to show his strength to her.

He raises his sword, resting the point against her stomach, breaking cloth and skin. Sakaki feels defeated and just closes her eyes.

"Allah stays my hand," he suddenly announced. Causing Sakaki to open her eyes to regard him. His expression plain and matter-of-fact. "He clearly wants me to work for this. As He must want for you to work for your death. You're still young. Tell me, girl, how long have you been an immortal?"

"T-Three months," she answered hoarsely as she chokes back tears.

"I see. Well then, I will let you go for now so that you can increase your skill. Allah wills it. I will be leaving this country and heading to America, where I will await you at the center of the continent. You may come after me as soon as you feel ready to confront me. I know that you won't run away. I just vanquished your husband, and you did stand up to me. Even if we never meet for another one thousand years, you will always feel my presence in the world, no matter where you choose to live. It will eat you up and you will always live in fear of me. That is a fate worse than death. So you will be coming after me, and it will be in a short time."

His expression next turns grim. "But consider that very carefully," his tone now matching his expression. "When we meet again, God willing, I will vanquish you."

Sakaki grimaces defiantly at him. The Hunter stabs her, freezing her into place, then shucks his sword aside as he lets go of her wrists. Faster than any human can move, he hurries past her and rips the engine hood off as if it is paper. Without missing a beat, he wraps it around her and throws her to the ground so that he can wrap it around her better, even tucking it in here and there. She is effectively encased, save for her feet since she is taller than the hood standing up. By the time Sakaki recovers, she is like a pig in a blanket.

The Hunter stands back and looks down at her. Her feet the only part of her body sticking out. He nods to himself with satisfaction, then picks up his sword and scabbard to sheathe it and places the sword back onto his belt before walking away.

Sakaki is unable to see anything and can only hear him leave. She wanted to call out to him, taunt him, curse him even. But no. Instead, she just silently lay there, waiting for him to be gone.

Once his footfalls are no longer heard, she begins the task of trying to get out of that makeshift binding. The best way out is to try and lift her arms up to her chest and push forward. It's a difficult thing to do since it's pressed so close to her. Once she finally gets her arms into the right position, she begins pushing with all of the strength that she can summon forth. But her binding doesn't budge.

If she can just fit her hands, if only one of them, out through the seam, then she can push. The jagged edges aren't a bother as whatever cuts she got vanishes in a virtual instance. Finally she gets one hand out and pushes on it. It worked, if very slowly.

Next, she gets her other hand outside to get more leverage. The metal is wound tightly around her and it's doubtful if she has the strength to completely unfurl it. Worse, she is getting exhausted from the constant strain she is putting forward. A better way is to slide out of it once it is made wide enough.

This she begins doing. Again, it's hard going as her breasts make it difficult to slide out. After what seemed like hours, she is finally able to remove that roll and sits there for a moment to collect herself.

It's midday. Has it really taken her that long to get out of there!? Sakaki looks over at Don's torn clothing. Her face scrunches up and she rushes over to pick them up to bury her face into them as she weeps bitterly. He is gone. After fourteen hundred years of existence, he is now gone. There is no body to touch nor dispose of, just his shredded clothing. Which is not the same because clothes get discarded whenever they get too worn. First her friends and now her husband, Don.

Her grief turns to rage, causing her to shriek ever louder. He was vanquished for the most insane reasoning ever! Because he was not a Muslim!? And now, in a rare moment of pity, the Hunter spared her so that he can feel challenged!? Well that is just fine with her!

"I will come for you!" She finally screamed icily down the road, not caring that he is long gone by now. Her face twisted from a rage like a howling blizzard. A feeling of ice water seems to flow through her blood vessels. "I will vanquish you, you bastard!"

Not only will he pay for Don's death, but for the death of each and every immortal he had ever vanquished! One of them being Don's ex-wife, now that she remembers. He made it really easy too, saying that he will await her in America, at the center of the continent to be exact. That last part she still doesn't understand clearly, but at least she will find out what that means.

Eventually, she calms and just stares at those shredded clothes. Her eyes full of pain and hopeless acceptance. She still finds it hard to believe that her Don-kun is truly gone. Yet she had seen with her own eyes as the Hunter sliced him in half down the full length of his body as oppose to just chopping through his neck. Clearly he is powerful enough to do that.

Sakaki then gingerly picks up Don's sword and strokes it. This sword is probably not as old as he was since he once spoke of being caught within a nuclear explosion, effectively vaporizing everything but his skeleton. Her attention is next caught by something gleaming in the dirt next to her. It's the ring that she had exchanged with Don on their wedding day. She picks it up and rolls it around in her fingers, caressingly. She looks at the other one on her finger that he had exchanged with her, then removes it. Compared to Don's, hers is smaller. She is a widow now and there is no longer any reason for her to wear it.

Sakaki stands and readies herself to throw them away. Only to stop within that pose and look at them once again. This time she kisses Don's ring and pockets both of them, patting her pocket as an afterthought.

She picks up his sword once again and this time examines it, making a glow appear and disappear around it as if playing with a light switch upon it. She holds it aloft and swings it around a few times. After several practice swings, she gets the feel for it. With another look at it, she nods in satisfaction. Sakaki takes a deep breath, thinking clearly of what she is to say, then holds the sword high.

"This will be the sword that vanquishes the Hunter!" She proclaimed in Japanese. It felt a little odd to her to be speaking her own mother tongue once again after having spoken English for so long.

He is right, the Hunter. He knew that she won't run away from him, nor try and stay away from him for eternity. It will only eat her up inside. No, she will go after him. Yet she must increase her sword skills if she is to come close to rivaling the Hunter. No easy feat since he is almost as old as Don was, who is now the Hunter's one hundredth vanquishment!

Sakaki thinks about what she will do next. She gathers up Don's shredded clothing and checks his pockets, finding five hundred dollars in there. It's a start. The truck on the other hand is a write-off. It looks as if it had been in a head-on collision with another truck! How on Earth is she going to explain this to the townspeople!? Someone will eventually come this way, even if anyone rarely came up here. There is always the possibility of someone blundering by. She needs to get out of here.

The next task she set herself to doing is unloading the truck once again and take everything back to the cabin. There, she sifts through all of his belongings and finds his passport, along with her own. Her own passport is the most important one of all. They had returned to St. John's to fill out forms that helped her get a passport.

Next it's his computer, though it needs a password. But what is it? It can be anything from a simple word or name, or even something made up. Names are a good place to start.

She types in, Tameni. Invalid. Jouryoku. Invalid. Then she types them in, both the Western way and Japanese. Both invalid.

Then she tries . . . Sakaki. She got in! Much to her own surprise.

She searches through his hard drive for anything that might be helpful. She finds documents concerning her marriage to him, along with something else.

His bank account.

It has a balance of one million dollars (the equivalent of one hundred million yens from her point of view).

One million dollars!? Don-kun was rich! It certainly explains how he was able to afford a five-hundred-thousand-dollar vase. Yet they live just above the poverty line. Of course, it comes to her that he was immortal. It meant having to do a lot of moving around during his long life, part of which being that he could not be burdened with many things. Fancy living also drew attention.

Now just how will she gain access to that account!? It will certainly help her. If only by getting a car so that she can drive all the way out to the center of the continent, wherever that is in America. She has her driver's license with her, the one she got here in Newfoundland through Don. As for that bank account, it's not like she can just walk into a bank and ask for his account to be turned over to him. They will only ask questions, and even call the authorities into this. Something that she doesn't want.

The next thing she finds is his bank card and checkbook. All she needs is his pin number. A pin number is made up of four digits, compelling people to use years to help them remember theirs. Yet a smart person never uses their own birthday.

But Don was born in a year that no mortal alive today was born in. That is something she will have to use when she encounters the next ATM.

Twilight is now fading and a campfire now burns near the front of the cabin. Sakaki is burning all of Don's belongings. Although she is only taking what she feels she needs, she doesn't need to take her now small collection of cute things. Those she will leave behind in the cabin. Perhaps somebody might give them to their children if they come to check upon this place.

Sakaki kneels before that fire. Her hair is gathered into a ponytail at her nape, with string wrapped around it down for a few inches. Her expression is serene as her eyes seem to swallow the light of the fire and flicker back from within them, instead of merely being reflected from them.

She picks up Don's sword by her side and unsheathes it, all while still looking straight ahead. Again without moving her head nor changing her expression, she gracefully reaches up with one hand to hold her pony-tailed hair, hand firmly upon the binding. She carefully positions the blade so that it's between the side of her hand and her nape. With one quick flurry of a wide cutting stroke, her hair falls away, leaving her nape bare. She throws her severed hair into the fire, where it readily burns. Next, with a pair of scissors, she starts snipping off pieces of hair from the sides and tosses them into the fire too.

Sakaki picks up a nearby mirror and checks out the boyish haircut she had given herself. It's like either Nyamo's without the long side locks or Chihiro's. She strokes her bared neck and ears. For an instance, she doesn't recognize herself. All her life, she had very long hair, and to now see it gone makes her feel a little lost. On the upside, her head feels lighter now. But it's for just this once as she intends to grow it long once again.

She continues kneeling and staring into that fire, watching as a part of Don's life vanishes into the flames. The only things she is keeping of him are the rings and their wedding picture. As for the Hunter, she will go after him. Just not so soon. Nor does she have any intention of ever staying here for so much as an extra day. With what is left for her to carry, she wanted to be on her way. Tonight. Yet someone is going to wonder about that wrecked truck.

Then let them wonder. She is going and that is that. Once the fire consumes everything that needs to be consumed, she will go. Whatever she wishes to take is now in a single medium-sized backpack, including a road atlas of North America that Don kept around. Don's sword is in the case that she repaired with duct tape.

Eventually, the fire does consume everything. It is time. Sakaki rises and puts the backpack on, the months of hard training having paid off as the backpack seems lighter now. She picks up her sword and starts walking away.

She doesn't look back.


	11. Chapter 10

Dawn brightens the horizon as the sun is an hour away from rising. A zephyr is blowing, bringing grey clouds that begin covering more of the sky. The day promises to be overcast with the possibility of rain. The sky isn't overtly red, though the beautiful orange does cast through the layers of clouds to give a surreal appearance.

By this time, Sakaki has placed a good deal of distance between herself and Don's cabin. No vehicles had passed her by, which is a good thing as far as she is concerned. She feels fortunate over being a natural athlete, part of which gives her the ability to walk long distances without rest. Soon though, she will need it. Especially since she is now carrying baggage.

For one thing, she has no idea as to where exactly she must go. Other than she understands that America lies to the southwest of this island, so it only stands to reason that she keep going southwest. Except she needs to go west more or less. She should have taken that atlas out to go over. Though she does have a map of Newfoundland and Labrador on her person and consulted it to get her bearings straight. But not yet until midmorning when she takes a rest.

As the day grows brighter, the traffic becomes more frequent now. By midmorning a car slows and the driver honks to get Sakaki's attention. It's a woman with wavy blond hair.

"Hey, let me give ya a lift!"

Sakaki is about to dismiss her, then immediately changes her mind and crosses over. The woman leans forward at the other side as Sakaki kneels down to speak to her. She is a pretty woman with a pale complexion who indeed has long and wavy sunny blond hair, and bright green eyes. Don-kun's Sarah-chan had fitted that description. But this woman isn't even an immortal, let alone Sarah Banner, or the feeling would have been mutual.

"So where ya goin', luv?" The woman asked kindly in that hard-to-understand dialect. Why are these people so keen on getting all of their words out in one breath? Granted, not all of them talked that way. Rose Pike, the judge who married her and Don, certainly hadn't.

"Uh, west," Sakaki answered shyly.

"How far west?" The woman then asked.

"How far are you going?"

"I'm goin' t' Baie Verte."

"Then you can drop me off there."

"Ya can put yer stuff in the backseat."

Sakaki does so and sits in the back with it. The woman adjusts her mirror so that Sakaki can see her eyes.

"My name's Sandra Bannister, what's yers, m'luv?"

Sakaki takes a deep breath, giving her time to think about that. Will she dare give this woman her real name? And is Sandra Bannister coming on to her!?

"Sakaki Eiei," she answered, reaching a compromise. Eiei means, forever, in Japanese. "But please, call me, Sakaki."

"Okay, Sakaki, and y' can call me Sandra," as she offered her hand for Sakaki to shake, who tentatively did so. Sandra steps on the accelerator and they are off.

"Th-Thank you for picking me up, Sandra-chan."

"Glad to help ya out. You Chinese?"

"Japanese."

"Oh, hard to tell ya people apart."

Sakaki quirks an eyebrow over that remark. Don-kun had no problem telling Japanese from Chinese people by their appearances. Yet this woman mistook her for Chinese. Then again, Sakaki might have trouble telling English people from French or German people by appearance alone.

"So what brings ya to the Rock?" Sandra asked.

"The Rock?"

"Another name for Newf'nland."

"Why call it, the Rock?"

Sandra puzzles over that for a moment. "I don't really know. I think it has to do with the fact that the weather is 'ard. It can get some rough here, by. Did ya ever spend a winter 'ere?"

"Uh, no."

"Oh man, da winter's somethin' brutal 'ere, yes by. A proper Newf'nland winter is snow up to yer arse and it be cold enough t' shave ya."

Sakaki is amused over that remark. Just what exactly is an arse? Does that sound deep? It must since this island is further north than Hokkaido. So this arse must be a body part higher than the knees. And what does, cold enough to shave you, mean? Does that mean that it gets cold enough to shave off your hair!? She thought to ask her, but that might make her lose face with this gracious woman who offered to give her a ride to this town of Bay Vert.

"Does it snow in Japan?" Sandra asked.

"Uh, mostly in the mountains," Sakaki answered. "Now in Tokyo, where I am from, it usually does not snow until the middle of winter. And even then it is only a light dusting which quickly melts away. Now Hokkaido is where the winters tend to be the coldest and snowiest."

"Hokkaido?" Sandra asked with a slight frown.

"It is a large island that is a part of Japan, just to the north of Honshu."

Sandra nodded. "I think I'll check my atlas when I get 'ome."

There is a moment of quiet. "Yer not a talkative woman, are ya?" Sandra then said.

"Ah . . . I guess not," Sakaki answered shyly.

"Oh yeah, my sister's like dat. Hard to get a word out of 'er, by. Me, I could talk yer ear off."

Sandra reminds Sakaki of either Yukari or Tomo. Throw into this the fact that she is talking in a manner that would have been considered wrong by Yukari and she suddenly remembers back to one moment in high school. . . .

_. . . .Yukari is teaching the various English words written up on the board. She critiques Tomo for pronouncing one of them wrong._

_"That is the proper way of speaking it," Yukari finished. "Just like there are only proper ways of pronouncing Japanese words."_

_"What about the dialect spoken by Osakans?" Chiyo-chan asked._

_"What about it?" Yukari snapped._

_"Are you saying that they should not speak the way they do?"_

_"Chiyo-chan, let me explain something to you," Yukari said as she suddenly puts the cute little pigtailed genius into a firm but gentle headlock and repeatedly rubs her head. "There has to be a set of standards in the world or there will be nothing but chaos and confusion and civilization will collapse."_

_"Kind of like her," Tomo whispered to Kagura, who then chuckles. A piece of chalk strikes Tomo in the head like a bullet, causing her head to snap back._

_"If there are different dialects to Japanese," Osaka said dreamily, "does that mean that there are different dialects to English?"_

_"That's right!" Chiyo-chan beamed. "Yukari-sensai, what sort of dialect is this English based upon?"_

_"What difference does it make!? It's still English!" Their temperamental teacher snapped._

_"But what about the other English peoples that created other countries?" Chiyo-chan continued. "There's Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. British English is a different dialect than from what is spoken in North America."_

_Yukari stares at her for a moment, blinking as if in deep thought._

_"Ah, who gives a damn!" She exploded. "Just get back to work!"_

. . . .Sakaki smirks subtly at that memory while staring forward. She digs into one of the pockets on her backpack, taking out her breakfast. It consists of an apple, carrot, a sandwich with roast beef and cheese, and a bottle of juice. She has three other meals like this packed away in the pockets. Her next meal will be in the afternoon, leaving the other two for tomorrow.

It's a long drive to Baie Verte, with much chitchat between the two, but mostly on Sandra's part. She is hard to understand because she talks so quickly. She keeps clipping all of her letters to the point that some of them are not even pronounced, while at the same time overemphasizing her vowels or sometimes not pronouncing them at all. Part of which Sandra keeps repeatedly mangling Sakaki's name by overemphasizing the second A, instead of just clipping it. Thus pronouncing her name like, Sakoki, instead of as, Sakaki.

Sandra is now slowing as they come to a rest stop near a turnoff.

"So is dis where ya want me t' drop ya off at, Sakaki," Sandra asked. "That's the turnoff to Baie Verte up der'."

"Then drop me off right there at that place," Sakaki stated as she point to the rest stop with her thumb, as Japanese people typically do.

Sandra pulls over into a nearby parking lot and turns to face Sakaki.

"Are ya gonna be okay from 'ere on?" Sandra asked with concern.

"Yes," Sakaki said.

"Well, goodbye, Sakaki," as Sandra holds her hand out.

"Sayonara, Sandra Bannister," Sakaki said as she clasps Sandra's hand. Certain to have backpack and encased sword in hand, Sakaki gets out and closes the door. She watches as Sandra drives off toward Baie Verte.

There is an ATM at the rest stop. Sakaki already has five hundred dollars on herself, but hopes to gain access to some more. She must get this right. There are only three attempts to using a bank card and if the third attempt comes out wrong, then the pin number will be erased from the computer. Sakaki takes a deep breath and exhales, hoping that what she is about to put in will be the right numbers.

She puts in, 0607 (having to put in a zero beforehand since four digits are needed).

Invalid.

She grumbles softly and thinks for a moment. Then types in another number. 1241. The year Don had married the immortal, Sarah Banner.

Invalid.

Sakaki feels as if her heart had sunk to her stomach. Just one more mistake and the card will become useless.

Think. What year would have been of significance to Don!? There is no way that she can access it through the bank's clerks, wife or not, because it will mean having to answer their questions. Questions like, where is your husband? Why isn't he here with you?

What about 1341, the year he and Sarah got divorced? No, that would have been an unhappy memory for Don. What about the year, 1361, the year Sarah was vanquished by the Hunter? Again no, another painful memory.

Or was it? Before they met, Don had been mourning Sarah for all those centuries. Is it remotely possibly? No, she can't run that risk and decides to refrain from attempting it one last time. She already has five hundred dollars on herself.

With a heavy heart, Sakaki cancels the transaction and the machine spits the card back out. She thinks about what to do next. She asks about a bus and learns of one going west arriving at around three P.M. The cost depends upon how far she wants to go, as the bus route ends at Port aux Basque. From there, a ferry leaves the island to go to the province of Nova Scotia. It's a cheaper means of getting off the island rather than flying.

Sakaki now wonders if she must take a bus to Port aux Basque or chance walking there, attempt to stretch her budget as far as she can stretch it. She next realizes that she left a lot of loose ends back where she came from. The locals will figure out that something happened up there since they might have taken notice of a dark man, possibly of African heritage, in the area. In time, they will go up there when it becomes clear that nobody is coming down from there. Then, they will discover their wrecked truck and nobody home. And somebody is going to call the police.

Yet she wants to leave as quickly as possible to avoid answering any embarrassing questions. And at the same time, attempt to put the grief of that place behind her too.

The bus it is then, hoping that it won't be expensive. It will be a two-hour wait.

Sakaki notices an orange tabby cat resting upon a closed garbage can. A warm feeling overcomes her and she walks up to it. The cat takes notice of her and its yellow eyes go wide. She tentatively reaches out to touch it, then stops for a moment to consider what used to happen between herself and Kamineko. Except now it's different as it won't hurt and the wounds will vanish in no time. Only this is not what is bothering her. It's that all cats, except Maya, bite her. The momentary reflection on Maya causes her throat to tighten and her eyes glisten.

She reaches out to touch the cat and its jaws open wide to snap shut on her fingers.

Sakaki begins waving her hand around to get the cat to let go. Again there is no pain as she feels the tingle in her fingers. The people around now notice and a crowd begins gathering. Shouts of shock fill the air.

That is when a Black man grabs hold of the cat and begins squeezing its jaws. The cat lets go and he tosses it down, then it runs away. Sakaki quickly hides her fingers as they continue tingling for a couple of seconds.

"You all right, lady!?" He asked with deep concern. For the briefest of instances, she thought that he was the Hunter. But this man has a much darker complexion than him and is clean shaven. Plus that feeling isn't mutual.

"Ah, yes, er thank you," she answered with a slight bow.

"Let me see your fingers," he said as he suddenly grabs hold of her hand and pulls it out, causing Sakaki to gasp. The tingling has since gone, meaning that it has fully regenerated. He closely examines them.

"Amazing, there's not even a mark," he mused. "I guess he didn't bite that hard."

"No, I guess not," Sakaki said with a hint of unease.

"Fellow traveler, huh? Where you heading?"

"Port aux Basque."

"Me, I'm heading to Corner Brook."

"Are you taking the bus?"

"No, I'm driving."

Sakaki wonders if to ask him to drive her out that far. The fear of being discovered for what she is is now strong.

"You're thinking of asking me to drive you that far so that you can take the bus when it does arrive?" He grinned offhandedly.

"If-If it is okay with you," Sakaki said rather sheepishly.

"Hey, no problem," he answered with a smile. "You can join me, my wife, and children. My name is Aaron Jones."

"Sakaki Eiei," she answered.

She is introduced to Aaron's wife, Tamera, and his two children, a thirteen-year-old boy named Trenton and a ten-year-old girl named Martha. Tamera has a similar skin tone to Aaron, but with less-pronounced Negroid features than him. She wears her hair in long thin pleats. Trenton has corn-rowed hair and takes more after his mother. Martha wears her hair more natural, save that she keeps it in a band that presses it flat back, and she looks to be an even mixture of both her parents. They are soon off, with Sakaki sitting in the back between the children.

"Are you from China?" Martha asked her.

"Japan."

"I figured you had to be from the Far East with that accent of yours," Trenton spoke up.

"How long have you been here, Sakaki?" Tamera asked.

"Three months," she answered. If they keep up this questioning, they just might ask a question that casts suspicion upon herself.

"How long have you been living here?" Sakaki asked. "Because almost everyone I have ever seen on this island is Caucasian."

"I moved here from Toronto fifteen years ago," Aaron answered.

"And I was born here," Tamera answered in turn, "in St. John's to be exact."

"How do you like Newfoundland so far?" Aaron asked without looking back.

"It's . . . interesting. The people here are friendly and they don't seem to make a big deal if you are not one of them. In Japan, being a foreigner is obvious."

"Why is that?" Martha asked.

"It's because almost every Japanese person is of the same ethnic group and have been so for over two thousand years."

More conversation goes on. Sakaki starts becoming a little more open with them now, even though that lingering fear still hangs around in the back of her mind. It's also refreshing that they speak understandable English and not in the manner that Sandra Bannister, or most other Newfoundlanders, talk. It also starts raining, making Sakaki glad that she didn't attempt to walk there.

They reach Corner Brook, far ahead of the bus. Sakaki is dropped off where it will stop at. They exchange their farewells and Sakaki watches them turn off toward the city of Corner Brook. Through the station manager, she learns that the bus will arrive in two hours. She smirks slightly at the parallelism of the situation. It was the same thing she had been told back at the rest stop at the Baie Verte turnoff. Nonetheless, it's a long wait.

It seemed to her as if two days had already passed by the time the bus came. She got her money ready and boards the bus. It turns out to be cheaper than she had anticipated in going to Port aux Basque. Her backpack is loaded into the carrier, but she takes the sword case on board with her. Soon, the bus leaves with her on board. At one point, around the halfway mark, the bus turns off from the highway to drive up another one that goes to the Port aux Port Peninsula. Sakaki asks someone seated next to her if it really does go to Port aux Basque, fearing that she had taken the wrong bus. But is assured that it only needs to make a stop at Stephenville to allow any passengers going there to disembark. Sakaki remembers passing through that town en route to the Port aux Port Peninsula, and back again.

After their long detour, the bus returns to the TransCanada Highway once again.

By twilight, they reach the town of Port aux Basque, the last stop of the trip. After collecting her backpack, Sakaki makes her way to the ferry. She arrives early, so there is no problem. The price is a little on the expensive side too. This doesn't deter her since it's cheaper than an airplane ticket.

The time finally comes for her to board the ferry and it departs from Newfoundland to go to Nova Scotia, to a city called Sydney.

Sakaki stands out on the deck. It's a clear and moonless night with a chilly breeze blowing, saturating the air with the smell of salt. The ferry gently bobs up and down as it cuts through the ocean while its engines chug away. There are passengers out on the deck, but she might as well be all alone as she reflects deeply while staring up at the stars. Don would have undoubtably been staring up at those same stars during the fourteen hundred years he had lived. It made her feel ancient . . . And yet, sad. Her sorrow wells up once again and she wrestles with her grief as tears flow down her cheeks.

Sakaki then looks toward the now receding island, this time wondering if she will ever return. Perhaps she will, someday. But it will be under a different name, and especially not until after the deaths of each and every person currently living there, particularly those she had met.

She looks away and stares toward the distant horizon where the ferry is heading. She will hunt the Hunter, only she will take her time about it. No plane rides for her. Slow and steady is the route she needs to take to steel her resolve.

The ferry docks at Sydney and Sakaki disembarks with her belongings, along with its passengers either on foot or by car or truck. Between the night and the lights all around, it gives her a sense of disorientation. The air is cool and a sense of expectation hangs in it. Some people mill around like her, wondering where to go next, and some more immediately leave with a destination firmly in mind.

Sakaki hoists her backpack as she figures out what to do next. A motel stay is the next thing to do. A cheap one obviously.

She finds a motel that charges fifty dollars a night for single guests (a bargain given the fact that the average motel charges almost twice as much). Once in her room, she quickly unpacks her belongings and takes a shower. She uses the laundry room later on afterwards. After getting all that aside, Sakaki throws herself back on the bed and stares up at the ceiling. Don certainly kept his bank account a secret from her. She can't help but feel a little upset with him. Then it got quickly washed away by guilt as she remembers how he had come to help her. He was right, he did save her from a life that might have been under intense scrutiny, especially if her immortality had ever been discovered.

Sakaki makes a call to wake at six A.M. then gets ready for bed. Tomorrow is when the real adventure begins.

* * *

**Notes:**

**For those of you who are uncertain, all of the place names mentioned really do exist. More of them are to come.**

**Bank cards are rendered useless after three failed attempts (hey, I didn't know that at first).**


	12. Chapter 11

Sakaki awakens to the ringing phone when the time comes. The day dawns clearly and she gets ready to go, paying her bill on the way out. But not before she gets onto the Internet provided in the motel lobby.

She thinks carefully about what the Hunter had said to her. In America at the center of the continent. This continent is called North America. She searches for the center of North America and comes up with a number of hits, all concerning the geographical center of North America. She clicks on a sight to read about it. It's in North Dakota, just outside of a small town called Rugby. Armed with this new knowledge, she takes out her North American road atlas and compares the distance between her current location to that of the town of Rugby, North Dakota. Upon finding it, she truly feels as if it will take years to get there.

But the Hunter is a very formidable adversary. It will take a fierce determination, along with a strong mind and body to do this quest, and ultimate confrontation. She is immortal now, so the journey will not harm her. Nor is the journey an impossible one either. She just needs to figure out how to get there. Her best bet is to go across Canada since she only needs to cross through four other provinces, instead of having to cross through roughly a dozen states. Plus, it saves the tedious task of crossing the American/Canadian border for much later on in the journey. The perfect route to take is the TransCanada Highway. The highway not only runs through Newfoundland, where it begins in St. John's, but runs all the way across Canada, splitting up into two, sometimes three, routes along the way. It ends in British Columbia at Vancouver Island.

Sakaki continues thinking this over. There is also her newly-found fear of exposure now preying on her mind. Yet it makes so much sense. Because being immortal means one of two things: leaving before everyone around begins noticing that you are not aging, or needing to sneak away after surviving an unavoidably lethal situation without a scratch. Back in Japan, she has since been legally declared dead. In this day and age of instant information, it is getting harder to vanish into a crowd. For all that she knows, someone might have already gotten her picture and placed in on the Web. Possibly in the form of a streaming video for some public video sight.

All it takes is one person in Japan that she had gone to school with to see that. . . .

Sakaki takes a deep breath to quell that fear. It won't do her any good to fret over something that is so highly improbable that it may as well be considered impossible. But she just can't shake that feeling of needing to always glance over her shoulder.

She draws out the path that she wants to take in pen before putting her atlas away and leaving. As she walks along, it comes to her about just how much of a hassle this will be. Getting any means of transportation, personal or public, costs money. Something that she just can't afford. The chances of her being able to use her driver's license is extremely slim. And does she really need to hurry anyway? She is going to meet one of only thirteen people in the world capable of killing her. Perhaps she might even meet another one of them along the way.

Once Sakaki reaches the city limits, she stops for a moment to stare down the highway at a point unseen. She sighs. This is it, this is to be the beginning of her incredible journey. Before, it was just trying to get out of Newfoundland. The rest of the way is land now. If she estimates this right, she just might cover over forty kilometers (twenty-five miles) in one day.

She starts walking.

Sakaki travels for days, ever keen on staying upon the TransCanada Highway. There were days of rain, days of clearness, or days when it would be first one then the other. The nights were the same way. Whenever it rained, she avoided consulting her atlas to keep it dry. She tries taking cover wherever there was any. At twilight whenever she rested, she would always try to do so underneath bridges. They were not always available and she was forced to have to sleep out in the open in the forest. Either way, she did have to deal with bugs crawling over her. Always, she was on her way before the sun rose.

As for food, she truly had to stretch her budget, eating only two meals a day, being certain that it contains the four food groups. Even if she won't die from starvation, she can still suffer its effects. At an army surplus store, she purchased a lot of dehydrated meals at a bargain. Water was not an issue since there were plenty of brooks and rivers that she encountered. All she needed to do was fill a water bottle and that was that. Disease was not a problem since she now has complete immunity to all of them. Yet she still avoided foul-looking water, if for no other reason than appearance and a bad taste. When it came to a change of clothing, Sakaki took it under the cover of darkness and wore each item of clothing for a longer period. When she did change, it was to wash them in any source of clean water. A bath was virtually out of the question, and she would only wash her face and armpits, since body odors mostly originated from the armpits. She did manage to wash her hair. Both skin and hair were washed with bodywash.

Bodily functions were to be the most problematic of all. When you needed to go, you _needed_ to go. This not only led to having to hide her business in the ground in a forest, but also having to clean herself off. Worst of all was the potential for some hiker to stumble upon her while she was in the middle of doing it. Sakaki handled this problem, if not solved entirely, by using any public-accessible toilet that was readily available for her use.

As for people, since she is the reticent type to begin with, there was no conversation with anyone along the way, other than to ask directions to some place. There were times when somebody offered to give her a lift just far enough and she took them, even though she would never attempt hitchhiking. Nonetheless, it did cut much from the distance. It was mostly men who gave her rides since she is an exotic woman. Although they didn't try to molest her due to the fact that she was unable to get a proper bath and laundering of her clothes.

Despite all this, the journey proved to be very demanding upon her. Her legs got sore and she was dead tired by the time she bedded down for the night anywhere. If it was having to walk or sleep out in weather that did not cooperate, then it was having to attend to the needs of food, water, rest, and cleanliness. It was just like Don had told her: being immortal didn't mean that you never got tired, hungry, thirsty, nor dirty. At least the soreness vanished almost immediately and stiffness never got a chance to set in. Her shoes also held up, but that will change later on.

Then there are her sword skills. She had to keep up on them, but how to do that without a sparing partner? Don was ideal because they could stab and hack each other without consequence, as long as neither of them hacked the other in two after a deep laceration to the torso. Things that cannot be done with mortals.

One problem at a time.

Ten days after setting out from Sydney, Sakaki is now in the province of New Brunswick. It's late in the morning and a strong warm southerly is blowing. The sky is overcast and the grey clouds have wavy bottoms to them. She is now heading down a highway known as Route 108. It's a lone highway, yet it's the quickest way to go west. Hardly any traffic is driving upon it and what few cars that do pass her never stopped to give her a lift. As for Sakaki, her muscles begin to show more toning. If she was still mortal, she would be sporting a tan by now. But no such thing is adorning her skin as it looks as if no sunlight has ever touched it in her entire life. Her eyes bear more of a grim determination now.

Whatever thoughts she has, suddenly vanish as she feels that familiar feeling once again from behind her. She looks back to see a vehicle approaching from off in the distance. It's still too far away to make out if it's a car or truck, only that it appears to be black.

As it gets closer, she can see that it's indeed black, and that it's a car too. It can't be the Hunter because he said that he was going to wait for her in America. And with there being twelve others besides either of them, it only stands to reason that it must be one of the others. Whoever that immortal is, they are in no hurry to catch up with her as the car doesn't change speed.

That is when she remembers what the Hunter had told her. About how he will wait for her. Did he actually expect her to survive a potential encounter with another immortal to confront him? If he truly does have that highly-developed of an intuition. . . .

She suddenly feels her heart soar. Maybe that immortal might not dual her after all; perhaps even turn out to be like Don. Or they are just as likely to challenge her too.

The car gets closer and closer. It's an ordinary car, nothing to arouse interest. The windshield is shaded, so she cannot see who is driving. It finally starts slowing as it draws ever nearer. The side windows are also shaded as well. It eventually pulls over onto the shoulder of the road directly across from her, coming to a full stop as its engine shuts off.

Sakaki can barely make out movement from within it. Though she can make out the silhouette of the driver fiddling around with something. Nonetheless, Sakaki drops her backpack and sheds her jacket, then opens her sword case and clasps the sword hilt inside.

Finally the door opens and the driver emerges. A woman, Caucasian to be exact, emerges with a katana. That is enough to make Sakaki withdraw her own sword and make it glow.

The woman casually gets out and slams the door shut, then turns to fully face Sakaki. She is an unremarkably pretty woman of medium height with brown hair held in a braid at her nape. From torso to feet, she is dressed all in black close-fitting clothes that shows off her well-toned form. A short-sleeved T-shirt with a lupine skull upon it; leather pants with a leather belt and silvery buckle; leather boots with very short heels; and studdied wristbands.

She lifts the blade to casually tap its back against her shoulder and tucks her other hand underneath her elbow. She is silent for a moment as she studies Sakaki with a simpering smile that does not touch her eyes, which bear a devilish gleam to them. Her eyes remind Sakaki of either Don's or the Hunter's in that they look as if she had seen and experienced too many things for someone "apparently" so young.

"It's been quite a while since I crossed paths, then blades, with another immortal," she finally said with casual amusement as she now rests the blade against her shoulder. Her voice has a deep oily tone. "The last time I did was on August the sixteenth, nineteen sixty-nine, near the Woodstock Festival."

The woman finally saunters across the road toward Sakaki while twirling her blade casually. "Of course, I've been around much longer than that. I was born, Aria Martel, and in three days, I'll be three-hundred and eighty-years immortal. What about you, honey?"

"My name is Sakaki Reiko and I only became an immortal over three months ago."

"Oh ho, newly-minted," mused Aria. "And yet you hold your sword quite well. You definitely had training. And you got that look about you too."

"I was trained by a fourteen hundred-year-old immortal who had gone by the name of John Donald Sky Smith. He discovered me and took me in. Then later on, married me. He was vanquished by an immortal almost his own age who called himself, the Hunter, a radical Muslim who claimed that he was fulfilling God's duty to vanquish all immortals who are not Muslim. Don was his one hundredth vanquishment."

Aria blinks absently over this, then takes on a gleeful expression. "Now that is extremely interesting!" She mused with a tone to match. "It means that this Hunter had to have been the most powerful immortal alive! Which now makes you the most powerful immortal ever!" As her eyes seem to shine more intently as she readies herself to attack Sakaki with her katana now aglow.

"No, he still lives," Sakaki announced as she holds her now glowing sword up to wave her off. "He was about to vanquish me, but instead chose to spare me, saying that he would wait for me at the center of North America. Just outside of a place called Rugby, North Dakota."

"Rugby, North Dakota," Aria said profoundly with a chilling smile. "Then I'll be certain to give him my regards!" And she lunges to stab Sakaki, who parries the oncoming attack.

Sakaki keeps backing away from Aria, who keeps up her attack. She wanted to get Aria into the forest so that any passerby won't bear witness to this. This woman is formidable as she twirls and swings her sword with a fluid grace and frightening ease. Oh yes, Sakaki now knows that she is in for the fight of her life.

"If you think you can lose me in the forest, think again," Aria said snidely in between the clashing of swords. "Methinks your vanquished hubby neglected to tell you that any immortal can be sensed by another immortal by so much as just being looked at by them. No matter how far away or well-hidden the immortal watcher is, the watched immortal will always zero directly onto wherever they are."

Sakaki says nothing and just focuses on the battle. They pass into the forest and out of sight from the highway. Sakaki gets backed into a tree and Aria takes the opportunity to now stab her, but Sakaki veers to one side so that Aria gets her blade stuck in the trunk. Aria was expecting this and suddenly stops short of stabbing the tree. She rapidly veers her blade to slash Sakaki deeply across her left arm, effectively severing her bicep all the way down to the bone and causing her arm to flop down to her side.

Sakaki is now left dangerously, if only temporarily, handicapped. Yet her right arm had not been injured and she manages to lash out with her blade upright to knock the oncoming attack away. Aria is clearly a very strong woman since Sakaki had felt the strength of that blow. Yet like always, Aria can't keep it constant.

Sakaki keeps knocking that blade away each and every time Aria tries to hit her as she continues trying to get more trees around her. It's not that she is trying to lose Aria, it's to try and gain some advantage in the forest. Trees make for obstacles. A risky gamble because that means Sakaki is also at a disadvantage. The highway is simply not an option when vehicles drive up and down it.

Aria keeps up her attack, if only more subdued to prevent her blade from getting stuck in a tree. Finally, the tingling stops in Sakaki's left arm and she is able to clasp the blade with both hands now. This time they are able to lock blades.

"You're fairly good, girl," Aria said with begrudging admiration. "But I'll still be the victor because I'm the oldest, so naturally I have more experience and essence to tap into."

"We'll see," Sakaki snapped defiantly and shoves Aria backward.

Back and forth the swordplay continues. Each marking the other with painless rapidly disappearing gashes. Aria even tries to slash her across the eyes, but Sakaki got ready for that one as she blocks it. In an instance, Sakaki next spins at a three sixty while she still has her sword raised in blocking the attack to duck, trying to slash Aria across the stomach in the hopes slashing deep enough to freeze her. Or perhaps even chop through her the moment she gets frozen as the blade might pass her muscle tissue.

Aria expected this and leaps back, but not before getting a slash across the stomach anyway that only broke the skin.

"Hey, I really like that shirt," Aria growled.

"Then you should've taken it off," Sakaki taunted in a quiet and icy manner.

They are now in a more open place with fewer trees to interfere. There are moments when either of them almost trip on a wayward root or log. Yet they are quick to recover as they lash out at the other with their blade to distract them. Neither make any real headway with the other.

"Getting tired?" Aria taunted during a break in the clash. "Having more essence means that you can concentrate on increasing your endurance for a time. Like I'm doing right now. That is how I win over my opponents. I wear them down."

"It's not over yet," Sakaki rebuked sternly.

They clash once more, attacking and countering the other. That is when Sakaki gets her foot caught, causing herself to throw her arms wide.

"Gotcha!" Aria yelled triumphantly as she pulls back then stabs out at Sakaki. Getting frozen is only a second away for her.

But Sakaki manages to firmly grab hold of Aria's blade while using its momentum to push it off and away from her chest, ignoring the gash that runs down her hand. As quickly as she did that, Sakaki pulls on the sword while launching herself forward as fast as she can. With all of her strength, she stabs Aria through the chest, pushing the blade well past her ribs. Sakaki feels that sensation of a tube getting jammed into her.

Aria is now frozen. Since Sakaki's foot is not really trapped, she quickly positions herself to cut through Aria's neck. With her now being geo-locked as Don had called it, she is not just going to fall over from a simple nudge. Aria is about to become the very first immortal for Sakaki to vanquish. Yet, it feels like murder to her.

Sakaki quickly suppresses those doubts, knowing that she has only several seconds now before Aria unfreezes. And the next time, Aria might get the upper hand and vanquish her without remourse. Focusing intently upon a spot alongside Aria's neck opposite from where she is to swing, Sakaki does a huge swing, accenting it with a controlled and icy shriek. Her heart pounds with anticipation as her blade starts cutting through flesh, only to hit bone on the way through.

But her blade now cuts through more muscle tissue and finally exits through the entire width of her neck. That was easier than Sakaki had expected.

Aria vanishes in an instance, with her sword falling as do her clothes as they crumple into a pile that echo the manner in which they had been worn. In that instance, Sakaki feels overwhelmed by what she can only describe as a torrent of energy rushing into her, filling her being.

That is when Sakaki suddenly feels different. Her thoughts are now so much more focused and deeper. Everything she had once learned seems so much easier to her now. Once her mathematical skills were average, but now she can understand them so much better. Her command of the English language, so much clearer. Each and every piece of knowledge she had ever acquired seems to come a lot easier to her now. So this is what it's like when one's intelligence is increased. She is probably as smart as Chiyo-chan had been. Her memories are also in so much greater clarity now, and this makes her grief well up once again.

Wiping her tears away, Sakaki suddenly remembers what Don had told her: there will always be fourteen immortals, seven men and seven women equally. So it means that another female immortal has taken Aria's place; just as some other male out there had taken Don's place too.

She next looks around. Each and every detail seems more apparent to her. She notices more things now. That is when she thinks of making her vision sharper and suddenly she can see the wing beats of flies at ten feet. The gleam in a bird's eyes at fifty feet, along with the individual bumps in a sunflower at that same pace. This takes effort to keep this as the sharpness fades in and out.

Finally she lets go and she suddenly seems half blind now. Next is her hearing and she can now hear with increasing pitch the sound of a fly's wing beats at twenty feet. Along with other sounds that she didn't hear before. She lets go of that and suddenly seems half-deaf now. Next is her sense of smell and she ends up smelling an explosion of smells that she does not understand. What is more, she can almost make out a trail with each of them. Is this how dogs see!?

Next is her sense of touch. It doesn't provide much of an advantage, other than feeling the sensations of her own clothing more intimately. Although she can feel the rocks underneath the soles of her own shoes. The same probably goes for taste as well.

Strength. That is an important thing she just wanted to try next. There is a small boulder nearby and at first she tries pushing it over. But it doesn't budge, no matter how much of her own muscle power she puts into it. So she focuses on getting stronger and suddenly begans feeling her body rapidly getting lighter.

She turns the boulder over with little effort.

Sakaki lets go of the strength and goes back to feeling heavy once again. Next, she thinks of speed. Focusing on that she begins doing one-two punches. No difference. She was missing something here, then gets an idea and focuses on strength once again. This time she does a one-two punch, only she now delivers them at a rate of ten per second. Next, she sprints to a tree twenty feet away and reaches it in a couple of seconds. Now it all makes sense. The stronger a person is, the lighter their own body becomes to them, particularily if there is no increase in weight. It's like being on a low-gravity world, only this is true strength augmenting her muscular strength instead of strength inspired by gravity.

Next is stamina. She doesn't perform any feats that require it, but she does reflect upon what Aria had explained to her. For as long as she keeps concentrating, she can prolong a run or any other rigorous activity. She will have to remember that if she is ever in a situation that calls for it sometime.

Sakaki returns to where Aria had once stood. She feels a pang of guilt over what she had done. Vanquishment is the same as killing. Yet, she had no choice. Aria was out for her essence, and could only claim that by taking her life. Afterwards, Aria would have felt no different than if she had just killed a mosquitoe.

She kneels and begins rifling through the pockets. There is a cellphone in one front pocket, and nine dollars in the other, in the form of a five-dollar bill and a couple of two dollar coins, or toonies as they are called. Sakaki pockets the money then checks the back pockets. One pocket holds nothing but the other holds a pack of pill-like candies that only have a few candies left. She unwraps what is left and shoves them all into her mouth for a good long suck then crunch. Her mouth puckers a bit and she shivers intensely for a moment because they aren't only sweet, but tart as well.

Sakaki knows that the cellphone might only end up becoming a liability. Willing forth as much strength as she can, she crushes it with her bare hands, twisting and mangling it for further emphasis. While it takes considerable effort for her to do that, she does manage to mangle it thoroughly.

Next she picks up the katana and stands. She hefts it a few times and even twirls it around for a bit and blinks the aura on and off around it. This she will definitely keep. For one thing, her people had crafted these types of swords. Then there is the fact that another sword will come in handy.

Sakaki is about to leave when she stops once again and stares back down at those clothes. Kneeling once again, she fingers them. The pants are nice, as are the boots. And she certainly can use those underwear (after they have been washed of course). She carefully folds the pants and underwear and sets them in a neat pile, then sets the boots on top of them. She examines the shirt and frowns. As far as she is concerned, it's an ugly rag and she bunches it up then tosses it aside. She doesn't even bother touching the wristbands as she merely glances at them with a slight sneer.

As she is about to go, carrying clothes under one arm and swords under the other, when she realizes that she might be lost now. Sakaki looks around, wondering where she must go. That is when she stares at a tree and a thought occurs to her, almost like a push to do it. Once at the tree, she examines it closely. It's a tall and thick deciduous tree. Its leaves turning red and gold due to the oncoming fall. Sakaki can see that its branches can hold a person. Yet it's going to be a difficult climb.

No, not climb as she lays the stuff down then concentrates on all the strength she wills forth. Already her body feels quite light. With a soft grunt, she leaps nearly twenty feet in one leap and grabs onto a branch and hoists herself up with incredible ease.

From the treetop she looks around and sees both the highway and the car, which isn't very far. Knowing the direction she needs to take, Sakaki looks down and wonders how to get down. Oh to Hell with it, she will fall out of the tree and does so. She gets up, no worse for wear, and gathers her newly-acquired stuff and walks off toward the highway.

Upon emerging, she collects her things from the side of the road. That is when she stares at Aria's car. Should she take it? She does have her driver's license after all, and wants to put it to use. The license plate though will be a problem. Any police officer might decide to check and ultimately discover that the car doesn't belong to her. She cannot remove it either or that will really draw their attention. It can still prove useful though. If only to be able to drive across Canada with, because getting into America with that car will definitely get her caught.

Sakaki walks up to the car and opens the door to look inside. It has a roomy interior. A plastic skull pendant hangs from the mirror and a trenchcoat lies upon the front passenger seat. Upon getting inside and placing her stuff upon the trenchcoat, she notices a button for the trunk and reaches in to press it. She gets out and checks the trunk to find only a tool kit and a spare tire. Aria Martel was obviously only out for a leisurely drive and just happens to come upon her. Yet it seems that she always carries her sword with her. Don did that too. Does being an immortal really mean that she will always have to be wary of chance encounters with other immortals? This is something she will have to keep in mind.

Sakaki places her stuff into the trunk and closes it, then returns to sit in driver's side, if somewhat tentatively. After shutting the door, she just sits there staring straight ahead for a moment. Taking a deep breath, she slowly clasps the wheel and sighs. Technically, she is stealing this car.

She looks over at the trenchcoat then picks it up and starts examining it closely. It's a simple-looking black coat made of wool with a fly-front. Looking inside, she discovers a scabbard sewn into the coat, being hidden within the lining. The coat had been covering a black leather purse and Sakaki keenly searches its contents, finding the usual things one can expect to find in a typical purse. Although she does find over three hundred and seventy-six dollars, a generic checkbook, and a bank card.

Sakaki stares at that card as she holds it aloft, wondering what Aria's pin number might be. Again, it might be based off a year. Only did she base it upon her own birthday? It's worth a try when she comes across the next ATM.

With the fuel gauge reading full and a newfound resolve, Sakaki grips the steering wheel once again before reaching for the ignition and starts the engine.

Slowly the car begins moving onto the highway, only to stop for a moment as the side window opens. The skull pendant goes flying out through it where it bounces once upon hitting the pavement. The window goes back up and Sakaki drives away.


	13. Chapter 12

Sakaki drives through various villages and hamlets along the way. The darkened glass of the car is surprisingly clear as it appears as only a slight tint from within. She stops at a place called Grand Falls, a town of several thousand, and drives around looking for a motel before finding one. Once in its parking lot, she takes a moment to put the coat on before getting out. It falls just down to her knees and is a little on the snug size. She also takes the purse with her. From out of the trunk, she discreetly tucks the katana back into the coat before taking the rest of her stuff inside with her.

She rents a room for the night and immediately sets about refreshing herself. First it's a bath she takes, complete with soap and shampoo. Next a decent meal. The shirt she currently wears has slashes in them and she discards it. After wearing her cleanest shirt and Aria's leather pants and boots, she has the rest of the clothes laundered, before laundering the shirt she is currently wearing afterwards.

Then there is the issue of her own sword. Aria carried hers within her own coat, so Sakaki thought that maybe she can make room for one more. The only problem is she needs needle and thread. She might be able to place a pocket for it on the other side within the coat as she wanted to be able to remove the sheath as well. Due to it having carry straps that allow the wearer to wear it on their back.

She leaves in search of needle and thread at the nearest shopping mall, wearing her other jacket. Upon returning with a couple of spools of black thread and a set of needles, she sets to work to make a pocket for Don's sword. Even using a piece of her shredded shirt as a border. Once she finishes, she places the scabbard into the pocket where it fit snugly. She sheathes Don's saber and puts the coat on. It takes well and she nods with satisfaction.

Next on her agenda is to check out the closest ATM machine with Aria's card in hand to attempt a transaction. Aria had told her that she was going to be three-hundred and eighty-years immortal in three days.

An idea comes to Sakaki and she adds twenty to that figure, coming up with four hundred years old. Then mentally subtracts that figure from the current year. She inputs the answer and gets an invalid response.

Sakaki now understands what Don had meant when she asked about his age. Being born on a specific day within a specific year did mean that you came into existence, making that the most important thing to you. Except . . . except . . . by becoming an immortal on her twentieth birthday, it means that she is no longer an ordinary person, but an extraordinary one instead. Her old self passed away and got replaced with a new self.

Almost as if . . . it had been a rebirth.

With this in mind, Sakaki subtracts three hundred and eighty from the current year and enters the answer to get a valid response this time. She feels a tremendous sense of relief, then discovers what Don's pin number might be.

Focusing on the prize before her, Sakaki sees that Aria Martel has a balance of five hundred thousand dollars in her account. It's half of what Don has but it's still a significant enough amount to engage her amazement. She ends the transaction and uses Don's card next, using the number, 0627. That too is valid. Now she has access to a million and a half dollars. She ends that transaction without withdrawing any money either. Between the two hundred and fifty-five dollars she has on herself before encountering Aria and the three hundred and seventy-six dollars she found in the purse, she now has six hundred and thirty-one dollars.

Yet, Sakaki knows that she cannot depend upon those bank accounts because frequent usage just might draw attention from the bank. That is why she needs to open her own bank account, pronto. That still doesn't mean that she won't skim from each of their bank accounts to add to her own. The transactions can't be too big or else it might get noticed. Though she wonders if she can still use the name she took back in Newfoundland. That is something she is out of the loop over.

After going to a public library, she signs up for computer use and searches for any news articles related to Newfoundland about a wrecked truck and a missing Japanese woman. So far she finds nothing. She even types in her new name, Tameni Jouryoku. Still nothing that concerns her.

Okay, this is starting to get very odd. It can only mean that nobody went up to their cabin yet. Did any of them ever suspect anything? A foreigner driving through a small town is sure to attract attention. No wait, in her time living there, she learned that they are, for the most part, a laid-back people. This means that they are not always quick to be suspicious of anything out of the ordinary. But someday soon, someone will go up there and find their wrecked truck. They will check the cabin and find it abandoned, save for all the stuffed animals she left behind. They might not find her broken sword whereas she had buried it well away from the cabin deeper in the forest. Despite all this, tongues should have still started wagging.

Sakaki asks for directions to the nearest bank and leaves. Once there, she enters and meets with a receptionist to open a bank account. With the lack of any news concerning herself, she uses the name, Tameni Jouryoku, and is guided through the proper requirements. With her bank card, she gets stuck on a pin number. Yet only for a moment because she puts in the digits, 0607. The year Don was born. With her account ready for a deposit, she puts a one hundred-dollar bill in so as not to draw attention. The rest will involve the bank machine in which she will transfer small sums of money over to her new account. But that is something she can only do at night when there are fewer people around.

It's ten P.M. when she returns to the bank's ATM. Along the way she had been using night vision whenever she reached stretches without streetlights. Don had told her that an immortal can only acquire this once they had built up enough essence and all she needed to do is think of seeing in the darkness. Everything seemed to take on a sheen, like wearing nightvision goggles. It had surprised her at first.

From Aria's account, Sakaki withdraws five hundred dollars, then switches over to her own and deposits it there, growing her account to six hundred dollars.

Early the next morning Sakaki leaves once again.

As she drives along, she seriously thinks of getting a new car. This one really doesn't suit her tastes. Or better still, a new paint job. And personalized license plates might go a long way too. Up ahead, she notices a sign stating that she is about to cross into the province of Quebec. She remembered hearing in class about how Canada has two official languages, English and French. She doesn't know any French, but with her intelligence and memory now heightened, learning it might not be a problem.

Late that morning, she comes to the end of the highway and to a town called Riviere-du-Loup. She pays a visit to another bank to do another transaction. This time taking six hundred dollars out from Don's account but putting half of it back into her own, giving her a balance of nine hundred dollars.

After consulting her atlas, she drives south along the St. Lawrence River, stopping only to fill her car or stomach, or use the washroom. She passes Quebec City just across the river but it's not in the path of her route. It's at this point that the TransCanada Highway takes her further inland away from the river.

Late that evening, she reaches Montreal, Canada's most populated city. As she crosses onto the island that Montreal sits upon, she suddenly realizes that she had gotten use to driving on lonely stretches of highway as there are hundreds if not thousands of vehicles surrounding her now. It's not as if she weren't used to urban centers. Most of the habitable areas of Japan are urban sprawl. Tokyo is the epitome of an urban sprawl, a place which Sakaki grew up in.

Only now does it come back to her of just how much she missed that. She would have stayed here in a heartbeat if not for the fact that she has an enemy to confront elsewhere.

Sakaki slowly drives down the TransCanada Highway that also serves as the main street of Montreal. It's like being back in Tokyo once again, only there's a difference in the older architecture that she sees in the older area of the city. Then there is the fact that she sees all along her route people representing all of the different places of the entire world. Including one group that look Japanese.

How different it is from the other Atlantic cities she had passed through (or even Japan for that matter) where homogeny is concerned. It's both intriguing and disturbing to Sakaki at the same time. On one hand it shows the complexity of life and how nothing is ever black and white, along with excitement of encountering something new. Yet on the other hand it also shows the potential for chaos and disharmony. With so many people with so many differences packed together, contention and disagreement perpetually simmer beneath the surface. It will only stay down for as long as society runs smoothly. But at the first sign of a breakdown in law and order, it might all explode into confrontations.

Sakaki is about to pass a shopping mall when she decides to do a little bit of shopping. She parks there and goes inside. There seems to be thousands of people everywhere of every nationality. She enhances her hearing and listens intently to them speaking. They speak in French now instead of English. She lets go of the enhancement and starts meandering along.

Some people merely glance at her and no more. A few men linger longer upon her as they eye her over. Sakaki comes close to blushing, clearly they find her attractive. A woman also does the same thing to her.

That woman causes Sakaki to remember back to the day when her and her five friends had gone to Magical Land to celebrate their graduation together. . . .

_. . . .The sun has since set, but twilight is still bright as the six girls emerge from the Disneyesque theme park._

_"Oh wow! You were right, Tomo!" Yomi sighed with wonderment. "Those were the most fun rides I've ever been on!"_

_"I'm just happy that all six of us went together instead of like the last time," Chiyo-chan piped up._

_"And we got the picture to prove it!" Kagura proclaimed as she holds it up for all to see. It's a picture of them on a roller coaster. It was the same one they had gone on the last time, except Yomi had not been with them in that one. In this one though, Yomi looks to be screaming with shock as she holds onto her glasses._

_"Whoa, I'm surprised you didn't break the camera," Tomo teased Yomi, who then responds by putting Tomo in a brief headlock before letting her go._

_"However, they did shut down the ride afterwards," Kagura added as she made a wry face toward Osaka, causing everyone else to look wryly at the bonkler._

_"I guess I shouldn't have eaten that candy apple," the airhead droned spacily in a noxious tone. "I didn't eat anything the last time."_

_"They had to hose the first row down," Tomo sneered._

_"Perhaps the next time this will teach you not to eat anything before going on such a ride," Sakaki rebuked Osaka gently._

_"Hey, look, it's Kaorin," Kagura pointed up ahead._

_Kaorin approachs them then stops as they stop too. She had been staring at Sakaki intently the whole time._

_"Hey, Kaorin, aren't you a little late?" Tomo joked._

_But Kaorin doesn't answer as she continues to stare intently up at Sakaki. This time she starts blushing and trembling._

_"Kaorin, is something wrong?" Sakaki asked._

_Kaorin only seems to turn even more red as her trembling continues and her face scrunches up. This time tears stream down her cheeks._

_"Kaorin, what's wrong?" Sakaki asked with greater concern as she gently clasps both of her shoulders._

_"I love you!" Kaorin blurted._

_The gang blinks blankly for a moment, including Sakaki. "Wh-What did you just say to me?" The tall beautiful statuesque girl asked as she leers slightly down at Kaorin._

_Kaorin took a deep breath. "I love you," she articulated in a hushed and sobbing tone. "I have been in love with you since grade ten!" More tears stream down her cheeks. "I never meant for it to happen! It just did! I fell in love with you and I couldn't help it . . . ! I'm sorry!"_

_Sakaki is stunned as she just stares down at the smaller girl and blinks for a bit. The others are also stunned as well._

_"I-I think that we all need to stand over there for just a moment," Yomi said to the other girls while pointing elsewhere before herding them over there. Tomo is about to protest, but Kagura and Yomi each grab an arm and drag her away, with Osaka and Chiyo-chan following. Chiyo-chan has a curious expression to her childlike face as she repeatedly glances between her friends then to Sakaki and Kaorin, and back again._

_Sakaki and Kaorin had watched them leave for a moment, before Sakaki briefly touches the smaller girl's shoulder to get her attention._

_"So you've had a crush on me this whole time," she said gently with an edge of revelation to her soft tone. "I guess I really can't say that I'm surprised. What with all those subtle hints."_

_"Th-Then if you knew," Kaorin asked wearily, "why didn't you say anything?"_

_"I-I guess I didn't take them seriously."_

_"Th-Then does th-that m-mean . . . ?" Kaorin stopped there as she doesn't want to finish the dreaded question as more tears stream down her face._

_Sakaki slowly shakes her head with a deadpan expression, though her eyes look as if Kaorin might drown in them._

_"Not for any girl?"_

_"No," Sakaki answered softly with a brief shake of her head._

_Kaorin took a deep breath as she closes her eyes, squeezing out more tears, then sighs deeply as she nods in forced acceptance with a forced smile before opening her eyes once again._

_"I-I suspected you mightn't be that way," her voice now soft and strained from grief. "Th-That's why I never said anything until now."_

_"You'll find your special someone, Kaorin," Sakaki said gently as she briefly strokes her shoulder._

_"I don't think she'll ever be anything like you, Sakaki-san," Kaorin groaned. "And please . . . just Kaori, without the N."_

_"Okay, Kaori."_

_Kaori takes another big sigh then does a slight bow and says a soft goodbye. Not a permanent sounding one, just one suggesting that they might meet again. Sakaki returns it and Kaori turns and walks away, making this the cue for the rest of the girls to return._

_"So I guess Kaorin's going home to cry since you can't be her girlfriend," Tomo said amusingly, only to get a slap in the back of the head from Yomi._

_"Kaori," Sakaki emphasized without the N, "will feel pain for a time. But she will move on and find her special someone."_

_"That girl's been in love with you since high school began," Osaka said. "It's gonna be hard for her to get over you."_

_"Whoa, that was so profound, Osaka," Kagura said with subtle amazement._

_"That's so strange," Chiyo-chan mused as she watches Kaori walking away. "How is it that a girl can fall in love with another girl like that? Or even a boy fall in love with another boy like that?" The other girls had been trying to explain Kaori's sexual orientation to her._

_"That's something that just develops in some people as they enter puberty," Yomi sighed. "And I keep telling you, you will understand this when you're a little older. Your mind has yet to fully develop."_

_"Will that happen to me?" Chiyo-chan asked with a touch of bewilderment to her tone._

_"I don't know," Yomi answered as she begins getting flustered. "Look, the night's still young and we still have a lot more celebrating to do."_

_The gang agrees and leaves together before the twilight fades too much. . . ._

. . . .Sakaki's throat tightens for a moment and tears glimmer in her eyes. She quickly grunts in the effort to clear her throat while blinking hard to dispel the coming tears. Poor Kaori had finally found that special someone, if only with a foreigner. Meaning that it might not have lasted for long. Either way, she will be forever spared the grief of her foreign lover having to leave her.

That is when she notices a novelty store full of unusual items and clothing. The sort of things not found in a regular store. The sight of a rack full of pink shirts catches her attention and she goes inside to browse them. They are short-sleeved T-shirts with hello kitty faces on them. Sakaki blushes as she feels a warm and creamy feeling in her heart. She wanted to buy one of these. As she goes up to the counter with it, she sees some simple necklace chains in various colors. These are the type that a person can wear either around their neck plainly or with various things added onto them. She selects a powder blue one and along with her new T-shirt, pays for them, and leaves.

Before leaving though, she enters a bank set up in the mall and does another transfer of five hundred dollars, from Aria's account this time, into her own. Bringing her own bank account up to one thousand eight hundred and thirty-one dollars.

She leaves the mall and gets into her car to continue driving down the street/highway. At the end of it, which forks off onto either the Autoroute Metropolitaine going north or Cote de Liesse going south, she spots a hotel. Since it's late in the day and she still has a flush bank account, it's worth a try. The place is neither cheap nor expensive in its prices.

The next day, she is up bright and early as usual to pay her bill and leaves. Sakaki is now wearing her new T-shirt along with her new necklace holding the wedding bands. She looks through her atlas and finds that she must take the Autoroute Metropolitaine in order to pass through Ottawa. Something else she also does is make another transfer. This time moving one thousand dollars from Don's to bring her bank account up to almost three thousand dollars this time.

As Sakaki drives down the Autoroute, she notices a plane taking off from the Dorval Airport, or Montreal International as it's sometimes known by. She seriously thinks about taking a plane to the nearest point within Canada to her destination (which is Brandon, Manitoba since it's directly north and across the border from her final destination) except that seems too easy. It also makes her feel as if she is too eager to go to her death. Her adversary is someone she will need to work extremely hard for in order to confront.

Late that morning as she is driving alongside the Ottawa River as part of the TransCanada passes alongside it, a fog suddenly rolls in. It's incredibly thick, making it almost impossible to see anything up ahead.

That is when a car seems to instantly appear in front of her, and the next thing to happen is her world spinning as it violently slams into her at maximum speed. In succession, more collisions come from both ahead of and behind her. Sakaki is soon trapped within a prison of twisted metal. Already she can feel tingling going on within her torso. And like it had been when she was underwater, she doesn't feel the need to breathe.

She needed to get away before an explosion occurs. Not that she will die, only that she might get trapped and unable to get away from eyewitnesses watching her survive this. Her seat had been rammed forward, pressing her tightly into the steering wheel. She places her hands on the dashboard and with all of the strength that she summons forth, she pushes. The task is far from easy as she needed to strain and grunt loudly as veins pop out on her redden face.

Slowly, but surely, it begins budging. That is when an explosion occurs from behind her, causing her to lose focus for a moment. This time, she begins hearing screams of both horror and agony from behind her. She focuses once again and begins pushing. Each and every second the space opens a little wider.

Finally, the space gets wider and she relaxes, if only for a second. She suddenly breathes once again. It is now hotter as the flames begin drawing ever closer, along with further successions of explosions. Screams intensify even further. Next she attempts to peel the roof back. With the windshield now shattered and sections of the plastic torn, she reaches out through and grips the upper corner by the driver's side, ignoring bits of glass that jab into her palm and fingers.

She focuses once more and begins to slowly bend the roof back. It creaks and rattles as the metal slowly tears and peel back. For Sakaki, it's the equivalent of a man trying to rip a thick sheet of cardboard. More crashes occur behind her, but they seem more distant and only jar her slightly. Again it's enough to break her concentration for a moment and she needed to focus once again. And again it gets broken once more as more explosions occur behind her, adding to the fire.

Now angry with herself for allowing her concentration to get broken, Sakaki seems to gain an extra surge of strength and the roof starts to roll back more quickly and easily. She is able to reposition herself now so that she can fit both hands there and peel the roof back more easily. It's finally back far enough for her to climb out. Before getting out, she looks down to where her new purse lies. Except it's now tightly sandwiched between the seat and dashboard with only half of it sticking out.

Sakaki clasps hold of the purse and with all of her strength, tears it in half, spilling its contents. She quickly sifts through the contents, unable to find the bank cards. The longer it took to find them, the more frustrated she starts becoming. The cards must be in the other section of the purse. The section that is now crushed between the dashboard and the seat, which has the back of the car pressed firmly against it.

Finally, she forces herself to settle upon taking the wallet instead. At least that didn't get stuck and she had the foresight to store her own bank card in it. Once safely pocketed, she crawls out through the roof. Sakaki also feels fortunate that she didn't remove the coat as they have both swords.

She takes a moment to survey the accident around her and it makes her gape with horror.

There are twisted wrecks of vehicles stretching all the way from front to back. It seems as if dozens of vehicles from cars to trucks were involved. There is even a tractor trailer involved at the back. Most of the vehicles are now in flames and those flames are rapidly coming up her way from either end. She sees people in the first couple of rows, and all are dead as they sport gruesome injuries. That is right, the screaming had since died down. Yet she sees that there are some survivors off to the side of the road. None of them take any notice of her since they are all in varying degrees of injury, with the least severe nursing a broken arm and not looking in her direction.

That is when she notices someone trying to crawl out of a wreck screaming in agony. The victim is an East Indian man with his legs still inside the wreck. A gash is across his forehead and blood pouring down into his eyes. Sakaki feels torn up inside. If she goes over and attempts to help him, there is a chance that her secret might get exposed. Yet the longer she stares, the more she wanted to help him. Until she can't take it anymore and rushes to his aid.

"Hang in there! I'll help you!" She yelled at him.

"My legs!" He screamed. "I think they're broken and they're trapped!"

Sakaki looks in to see that they are trapped by the steering wheel. She steels herself as she is about to do what every fibre in her being starts screaming for her not to do. She reaches inside and focusing her strength, manages to break the steering wheel column and remove it. Sakaki hopes that he is in too much pain to notice anything else. With it now out of the way, she is able to drag him out, where it's indeed true that he had both of his legs broken, and at the knees too, as he screams in agony.

Again focusing her strength, Sakaki lifts him and slings him over her shoulder. He is a fairly big man, yet he may as well be a child to her. She carries him off the road and well away from the wreckage, where she carefully lays him down on the grass. She looks back over at the wreckage and sees that it indeed looks as if dozens of vehicles had been involved. Cars and trucks are sandwiched in between a mach truck and a transport truck. There are also more people trapped inside who need to be rescued before the flames overcome them. For many of them though, it was too late.

Her car is in the middle. The back and front scrunched up to the point that they had almost been on top of her. Her backpack is in the truck. It includes not only her other jacket and clothes, but Don's laptop, her wedding photo, and her passport. She wears not only her new T-shirt and coat, but also the leather pants and boots.

That is when another explosion occurs and this time the rest of the vehicles go up in flames. What people that can be seen within them thrash around wildly as the flames now consume them. Sakaki never thought anyone can scream with such intensity at all. Between what she had just done and all of those people dying, she can't take it anymore and turns, fleeing into the forest.


	14. Chapter 13

Sakaki quickly hurries through the forest, leaving the scene of carnage behind her. This will definitely be on the news tonight and she wanted to be as far away as possible before any tv news crews show up. That fellow she helped had blood in his eyes so he might not have been able to look at her, but the others around would have definitely noticed her. And armed with a description of her, the authorities will definitely want to question the only witness who was able to walk away when the rest had to drag themselves away.

Now that she remembers, she had actually been crushed inside the car, which explains why her innards were tingling and she couldn't breathe for a while. It was because all of her inner organs had been ruptured. Her bones should have been crushed too.

Sakaki checks her wallet to find three hundred and fifty dollars in it. She grumbles at this ill turn of events. With Aria and Don's accounts now lost to her, she needed to stretch her budget once again. At least that accident did solve the future problem of needing to get rid of the car. She just hoped that it got wrecked enough so they won't be able to trace it to the original owner. Hopefully all trace of evidence got destroyed.

She continues walking ever onward through the forest, having to push branches and brush aside. In time, she emerges before another road and for a moment wonders which way to go. Wait! Of course, her memory is now sharp enough that she can recall that atlas! Since she always tended to consult it. She had studied her route often enough to know that she is heading away from the Ottawa River, so that means she is heading south. That makes west to her right and she turns there to go up the road. Ottawa, the capital of Canada, is not that far away.

Sakaki keeps walking. As much as it pains her to have lost her stuff, she can't help but feel a touch of relief over no longer having to lug so much with her. And at least she has the most important things of all is what counted.

It's a long walk as the passing vehicles fail to stop and offer her a ride. That is when the sound of a car slowing behind her makes her look back. The car is exactly like Yukari's car, minus the dents and the driver being on the lefthand side like all North American cars. Disregarding the eerie similarity to the Yukarimobile, Sakaki knows that the driver wants to give her a lift, hopefully to Ottawa. She walks up to the passenger side as the window lowers, then leans in to regard the driver.

Who turns out to be Yukari.

Sakaki reacts with shock as her expression and manner shows it as such. Her heart even skips a beat. She finally shakes her head in the effort to clear her thoughts and briefly rubs her forehead. She knows full well that Yukari is dead, the memory of her dead face filling her mind. This is just a fellow Japanese woman who just happens to look like Yukari. In fact, she could be her long lost identical twin, right down to the hairstyle.

"Is something wrong?" The woman asked in flawless English. Where Yukari had a voice that reminded one of a spoiled brat, this woman's voice sounded softer and more mature.

"Ah, are you going to Ottawa?" Sakaki finally asked.

"Yes," the woman answered. "Hop in."

Sakaki gets in next to her and they are off. This woman is obviously not Yukari since she is driving normally.

"So what's your name?" The woman suddenly asked in Japanese, though with an English accent.

Sakaki remains silent for a moment. "Tameni Jouryoku."

"Pleased to meet you, Tameni," the woman continued in Japanese. "My name is Carrie Miyazaki."

Sakaki blinks over her name. "I figured that you're Japanese too," she then said in Japanese as well. "And I notice that you speak excellent English."

"That's because I was born and raised in this country, making me a Japanese-Canadian. My parents immigrated here before I was born. That's why I have a Western name."

"Kaori is also a Western name?" Sakaki mused whimsically.

"What are you talking about?" Carrie asked as she shakes her head with a slight frown. Then it comes to her. "Oh, wait! You're thinking of K-A-O-R-I. No, mine is a Western name and it's spelt, C-A-R-R-I-E, and is actually short for Caroline."

"Oh, I see," Sakaki said with a blush.

There is another moment of awkward silence between the two, until Carrie breaks it.

"Back there when you first met me, you acted surprised. It was as if you had seen me before. Wanna talk about it?"

For a moment, Sakaki is hesitant to actually speak of it. Yet.

"You . . . You look so much like a friend I had back in Japan," she answered sheepishly, then remains silent for a second or two. "She got killed in a car accident."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Carrie cooed. "And I happen to look just like her, don't I?"

Sakaki looks blankly at her, though her eyes show a touch of grief. "If I didn't know any better, Carrie-chan, I could swear that you were her brought back from the dead."

"How old was she?"

"Twenty-nine."

"Well I'm twenty-six, so there's your answer. What was her name?"

"Tanizaki Yukari. Or Yukari Tanizaki as it's pronounced in this part of the world."

"Never heard of her," Carrie briefly frowned then shakes her head. "Then again it's always said we have a double out there somewhere. Perhaps you may have your own."

"Perhaps."

They continue their conversation in Japanese. Carrie tells her that she is married with a baby boy, and works as a software designer. Sakaki only tells her that she is on vacation in Canada. She feels relieved to be finally talking to another fellow Japanese in her native tongue; yet at the same time unnerved to be doing so with someone who looks exactly like Yukari. But where Yukari was childish, lazy, hotheaded, loudmouthed, and a horrific driver to boot; Carrie turns out to be warmhearted, considerate, and an excellent driver. If anything, she is like Nyamo used to be.

"Ottawa, the nation's capital," Carrie announced as they approach the city. "So where do you want me to drop you off at, Tameni?"

Sakaki catches herself from asking to take her to the nearest motel, but then decides on something else. Carrie definitely didn't hear about the accident just yet or she would have talked about it. But when she does, she might end up putting one and one together, especially if any of the survivors did happen to see her leaving the scene, and tell the authorities about it.

"Drop me off at the government building," she then answered.

"You mean the Parliament Building?"

"Yes, the Parliament Building."

Carrie drives up near the Parliament Building to let Sakaki out.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Tameni," Carrie said pleasantly.

"And it was nice meeting you, Carrie," Sakaki answered before getting out. She turns to wave goodbye to Carrie through the window, which Carrie returns before driving away.

Sakaki watches her leaving. She feels both pleased and unnerved at the same time over meeting that woman. She takes to heart what Carrie had just told her about having doubles out there. Is it possible that she might end up meeting other women who just happen to look like Yomi, Tomo, Kagura, Osaka, Kaori, or Nyamo? Or even another Chiyo-chan for that matter!? Or even . . . perhaps someone who will look just like herself?

Sakaki looks toward the Peace Towers that are of the Parliament Building. Her knowledge is rather limited about the capital of this country. But she does know something of it. The Parliament Building was built in the nineteenth century before Canada became independent. Also unlike America next door, Canada didn't demand their independence by fighting Britain for it, but instead had it given to them as responsible government on July 1, 1867.

She wanted to look around a bit more, but instead chooses to go and find a motel room first before making her next move. She asks directions to the nearest motel and is pointed to one nearby.

In the motel room, she turns on the news and surfs for a local news station. Then stops when she reads a headline stating, Multiple Vehicle Pile-Up Near Ottawa, in capital red letters at the bottom of the screen.

"To recap our top story," said the Caucasian blond-haired blue-eyed anchorwoman, "there has just been a multiple car pileup some forty kilometers east of Ottawa on Route Seventeen of the TransCanada Highway, sometime at around ten forty-five A.M. Authorities currently don't know the exact number of vehicles involved in the accident but it has been estimated that at least twenty vehicles were involved, along with a dump truck and a semi. The appearance of a sudden thick fog on a stretch of the Highway has been blamed for the accident. Authorities don't have a proper figure of fatalities just yet, but they believe that there may be over twenty people who have been killed, with dozens more injured. More on this report."

It next shows images from a helicopter of the accident, with another reporter speaking of it from off camera. Sakaki is amazed that there are any survivors at all, judging by the images she sees. She hopes none of the survivors are able to identify her. And if they do, she hopes that they might only be able to give a very vague description of her.

Sakaki continues watching the report to see if anything is mentioned about her. So far nothing once the broadcast ends.

She shuts the tv off and looks down at her own clothing. Any eyewitnesses, especially the one she rescued, are more likely to describe her clothing than her personal appearance, particularly her coat.

A change of clothes is in order and she leaves to go and buy some.

As she walks down a street, she starts noticing that she is not the only one with a long black coat on. She counts at least a dozen or so more people wearing long black coats. None of them are exactly like her own other than being long and black. And many of those who wear them have dark hair. This makes her feel slightly more at ease and she changes her mind about wanting to buy another coat of a different color.

The next thing she notices is a sign above a shop that reads, thrift store. Sakaki tilts her head slightly at that sign. She wanted to kick herself for not thinking of such a thing earlier on in her journey. A shop where second-hand clothing is sold at very cheap prices! She can probably get a good pair of pants and shirt for twenty dollars!

Sakaki goes inside and begins browsing. There are all sorts of clothing. She checks through the rows of shirts and pants, before settling on two pairs of pants, faded blue jeans and nylon slacks, and two shirts, a long-sleeved purple shirt and a grey turtleneck sweater. After paying for them, she leaves and returns to her motel room then goes out to another store to buy a couple of pairs of new underwear, brassieres, and socks. Her new underwear has pink kittens and her new socks are anklets with pink edges and small tassels. Sakaki also purchases a small knapsack, toothbrush, toothpaste, a comb and brush, and two spools of grey thread along with a package of needles. She returns to have a long hot bath before dressing in the pair of jeans and purple shirt. Later on, she has a meal.

Sakaki goes to a local library. Seeing that news bulletin about the accident makes her think about any news back in Newfoundland that must have reported her disappearance by now. She searches the Internet for any information about it.

Again, there is nothing.

Just what is going on here, she wondered with bewilderment. Didn't those people ever get curious about their disappearance and go up there!? They would have found the truck wrecked and them missing, leaving only her stuffed toy animals behind. That is unless . . . there was no sign of any crime.

That had to be it. In order for this to make the news, they would have had to find signs of a crime. Only there was none, because Don had vanished and she burned his clothing, along with everything else she couldn't take with her, save for her stuffed toy animals and that broken sword she had buried. Also, Don did leave plenty of clues that they were moving away. Although they might be hard pressed as to figure out how she and Don could have left from there with the truck smashed, courtesy of the Hunter.

As for the Hunter, he definitely would have been seen going up there. So they might have ended up thinking that he was a friend of theirs and was called up to help them move after their vehicle got wrecked. Again, they would not be able to reason out why it got wrecked in the first place, causing it to remain a local mystery. Such mysteries, however, resulted in people trying to fill the void, thus causing them to suspect foul play in the end. But regardless of their conclusion, there is no evidence of any crime having ever been committed.

Sakaki feels relieved over that conclusion. This is one concern off her mind. Now the other concern is of that accident. She needed to keep up on the news whenever she has immediate access to it. And keep moving at that.

Later that night, she turns on the tv once again for a news update. She keeps it on the channel that she had seen the previous news on. Had she missed the news, she started to wonder.

The news eventually comes on and she heightens her hearing a little to try and catch each and every word spoken.

The news anchorman, a Caucasian with light brown hair and hazel eyes, reports the accident outside of Ottawa first. There is much more information about it now, complete with pictures. Thirty-eight vehicles had been involved in the accident, with at least twenty people dead and thirty more injured. Although it is hard to gauge the true number of deaths since the fire was so hot that the pavement not only burned, but the metal on the vehicles melted, causing it to fuse into one massive metal glob. And in turn, cremate any human remains.

Although Sakaki feels horrible for the victims, she still feels a touch of relief. It means that the car is not only a melted glob, but it might be assumed that the driver had been incinerated.

Some of the victims are interviewed. This holds her attention most intently of all. There are several victims providing details of the accident and how they managed to get out. So far they don't speak of her.

Until the news reporter proclaims how somebody had managed to rescue a man and shows him on tv. That face makes Sakaki's heart skip a beat.

"Someone came running over and told me to hold on," the man said in flawless English. He is the East Indian man she had rescued, only with a bandage across his forehead now. His speaking flawless English can only mean that he too had been born here like Carrie Miyazaki.

"I was screaming that my legs were trapped and that they were broken," he continued. "He reached inside and somehow moved the steering wheel aside. I really don't remember much after that because I was just slipping in and out of consciousness. The next thing I realized was that I was on the grassy bank, but my rescuer was gone by then."

"So it was a man that rescued you?" A news reporter asked off camera.

"I guess it had to have been a man because both my legs are broken, so I had to be carried. And I weigh a hundred and eighty pounds."

"Do you remember anything about him?"

"No," he stated as he shakes his head. "I had blood in my eyes the whole time, so I couldn't see a thing. And he didn't say anything else after he ran over to me."

Sakaki feels a tremendous sense of relief. He assumed that she was a man the whole time. The other survivors are interviewed and asked if they had seen such a man. Nobody did, until. . . .

"I did see a man running away into the forest," a Caucasian girl stated. She has a very light and freckled complexion with short red crinkled hair and a blue eye since the other has a bandage over it. She has scratches and small cuts all over her face too, along with a bruise around her good eye.

"Could you describe him?" The news reporter asked.

"Nope, he was back on and I only saw him for less than a second before he disappeared into the trees. Although I do distinctively remember that he wore a black trenchcoat."

Sakaki closes her eyes as she grunts with frustration. It may not have been much of a description but it's enough to possibly trace her. She was on a road just south of the accident before Carrie picked her up. Again, Carrie might not try to piece it together since she would have been hearing that it was a man and not a woman. Yet there is the possibility that she might solve it and go to the police to tell them about her suspicions. Although Carrie will unknowingly be giving them a fake name.

The same fake name Sakaki had been giving to each place she stayed at since leaving Newfoundland, and is being used under her account.

That did it. The sooner she gets out of this city, the better. At her earliest possible convenience since she is now dead tired. After setting a wake-up call for five A.M., she sleeps atop of the bed with her clothes on. She wanted to be gone in a flash.

At five A.M. she gets up. With her being so groggy, it proves to be the perfect opportunity to try and enhance her stamina. Focusing upon it, Sakaki suddenly finds herself more alert, but she keeps ahold of it for a while as she goes about using the bathroom. She lets go of it afterwards and she still feels alert. Her breakfast is in the form of a muffin she had brought the night before, and a juice pack. Minutes later, she is at the desk and paying her bill.

Dawn is just brightening the horizon as Sakaki walks out of the motel, certain to head west. She knows that she won't be able to use the name she had registered in Newfoundland. Some other name will have to be used from now on. Don had warned her about this, only she never took it seriously. Until it now happened. For as long as she exists, she will continue giving false names. Perhaps one day she might get to use her original name. Only needing to change it once again when the time comes. And so it will go, her having to move around when time catches up with her by touching all those around her.

By the time the sun rises, she reaches the city limits. She watches a plane take off and thinks that maybe she might go to the airport and hop onto a flight to take her closer to her destination. If only within Canada.

Yet she did like traveling around in the outdoors, as hard as that was sometimes. Particularly before she encountered Aria Martel. It gave her a chance to take things into a better perspective of what she is trying to do. Perhaps she should just stick with walking all that distance to her destination.

And yet . . . and yet. It might not hurt to shave some distance off her destination.

Now she feels conflicted over what to do. Continue walking to her destination or take a bit off her distance with a short plane ride?

She needed to do something about the swords though. Don carried his around with him, as did the Hunter and Aria Martel. In order for them to do that using a plane, they had to use carrying cases, and secure ones too.

So where to find a suitable case? Don's old one was destroyed in the accident. A musical instrument case will have to do. For this, she needs to withdraw more money from the bank. She remembers passing one on her way downtown and goes to it. Once there, she withdraws three hundred dollars and thinks about where to go next. Hailing a cab to do so since she now feels pressed for time.

She is dropped off at the airport, since there is also a music store in there as she had been told by the driver. Talk about convenient. After paying her fare, she goes inside and finds the music store.

Inside, there are all sorts of instruments to be brought. But what she is looking for is something to carry her swords in. After checking with the clerk (who raises eyebrows over the swords Sakaki presents to her) she finds just such a thing. A large oboe case, only this one is a little bigger. The cost is two hundred and fifty dollars.

Naturally, she is warned that although she can take her swords with her, she won't be able to take them into the passengers' area.

Next is the flight arrangement as she looks to see what flights take off soon. None of them are even going to Winnipeg, Manitoba let alone to Manitoba's other city, Brandon, which isn't that far from Winnipeg. The closest she can get is to Thunder Bay, within Ontario. So be it then, and it's leaving in half an hour.

Sakaki walks up to a ticket counter. Already her unease over being discovered is playing on her mind.

"Excuse me," she said to the ticket clerk. A Mongoloid woman who doesn't appear Oriental. "How much is a ticket to Thunder Bay?"

"Just a moment," she said as she begins typing on the computer. Moments later, she regards Sakaki once again. "You're in luck, somebody just canceled their flight and it's a seat sale. You can get it for one hundred and fifty dollars."

"I'll be right back," Sakaki stated and she leaves to the nearest ATM machine to withdraw one hundred more dollars and returns to purchase her ticket. On the way back, she thinks carefully about her new name.

"Any luggage?" the clerk asked.

"Just this," Sakaki answered as she holds up the new case. "It contains two swords."

"Then they'll have to go into the cargo hold," the clerk stated. "Name?"

"Eiei Midoriiro." Forever green, is its meaning.

Once everything is checked out, her luggage gets tagged and placed on the conveyer belt to be sent to the airplane. With her ticket in hand, Sakaki searches for where she is to enter and waits next to it. Finally the announcement comes and she gets aboard. There is a moment when she gets a little hesitant to walk through screening as she wonders if being immortal might set off the detectors, only they don't. For being immortal means that one doesn't turn into metal.

Finally, she is aboard the plane and it soon taxes down the runway then lifts into the air, on its way to Thunder Bay.


	15. Chapter 14

The plane arrives at the city of Thunder Bay, two hours later. Sakaki disembarks and retrieves her luggage before leaving the terminal. The day is overcast with rain a strong possibility. Her bank account currently contains two thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars.

But she wonders if she should spend the day and night here, hoping it will be clearer tomorrow. No, she wanted to keep moving. In fact, she will undertake a penance and do as much walking as she can toward her destination. Even sleeping out under the night sky as much as she can. That will be harder since it's growing later in the year as it grows increasingly cooler. This makes Sakaki wonder if she might fight her adversary in the winter.

As she crests the hill within the city, she pauses at the sight of Lake Superior. She is impressed to find herself looking at a body of freshwater that appears as if it's the sea to her. When she had been reading her atlas, she came across just how big that lake is. It's 51,230 square kilometers in size (31,814 square miles), making it the largest freshwater body on Earth by surface area. She remembers that Hokkaido is somewhere between 45,000 and 50,000 square kilometers and if it were in the exact shape of Lake Superior, it could easily fit into that lake with room to spare.

A peninsula out there next catches her attention. The longer she stares at it, the more it seems to look like a man lying down on his back with his hands placed upon his chest. Another oddity.

It then comes to her that she is facing south, meaning that west is to her right. Sakaki turns right and keeps going. Along the way she sees a pawn shop and gets an idea as she looks at her oboe case. In an alleyway, she removes the swords and tucks them back inside her coat before going inside with the oboe case. Later, she comes back out with twenty-five dollars in her pocket, and a feeling of disappointment over only being able to sell it for such a pittance, since the case had costed ten times that much. But it's still better than nothing and she did want to shed that excessive baggage.

She now passes a grocery store and decides to go inside to buy some supplies. The next thing she wanted to do afterwards is stop off at a local library and skim an atlas to find out just how far away Winnipeg is, along with the city of Brandon. As sharp as her memory now is, it isn't exactly photographic just yet.

Inside, she comes across a magazine rack with North American road atlases. Sakaki chooses not to buy one, but skims one instead. She checks out the distance between Thunder Bay and Winnipeg to find that they have a distance of 702 kilometers (436 miles) between them. She knows that walking is clocked at a little over three kilometers per hour (two miles per hour), factoring in rests and it might take over two weeks for her to get there.

Meaning that she needed to go back to eating twice a day while on the road once again, like she had been back in Nova Scotia and part of New Brunswick. So she will have to buy some nonperishable food items that have all the essential nutrients that the body requires.

She searches through the aisles and comes across a package of protein bars, twelve in a pack. Those will be good and she selects two of them. There is also a pack of energy bars that she takes, two packs of twelve.

Then she notices the vitamin section. Protein and carbohydrates are one thing but vitamins are another. She looks at each bottle to decide on what will be best. Why didn't she think of this sooner after arriving in Nova Scotia? It may not be the best thing to go by but it's still something to stretch out her budget. It just goes to show that one can't think of everything.

After selecting what she needs, including a bottle of drink so that she can use the bottle to store water in afterwards, she pays for her items and leaves. As she heads out, she goes into another store where she buys a raincoat. Afterwards, she leaves and heads west. Outside of Thunder Bay, some 64 kilometers (40 miles) ahead, the highway splits in two, with one heading north. That one leads to Winnipeg.

For the next two weeks, Sakaki keeps walking. There are moments when people stop to offer her a ride but she refuses them by saying that she was hiking. The nights are indeed chilly at times. Since it's now well into fall, there are fewer insects out to bother her. During times of rain, she donned her raincoat. Day and night, the weather swung toward sunny and mild to rain and chill. It left her feeling miserable but not concerned for her health (being that her health won't be affected). Twice a day, she ate a protein bar and an energy bar, but the vitamins were consumed only once a day instead. And still, her stomach would frequently growl from the hunger pangs. Drinking water was not a problem due to the many lakes, ponds, rivers, and brooks she passed.

Answering the call of nature was again the biggest problem. Going up into the forest repeatedly was something that always weighed upon her. Every time she dropped her pants, she heightened her hearing to listen for anyone coming. Each time there was nothing, but each rustle of the leaves made by birds or other smaller animals made her feel as if it were someone spying on her. Cleaning up was the biggest problem of all as she had to use copious amounts of leaves and then had to wash her hands afterwards.

Yet there were communities along the way that she passed through to use the washrooms in their stores. With the provincial park season over with, there was no way that she could enter to use an outhouse. Or was there? She did take a chance once and hurried up to one and used it, so it's not like it's strictly closed. They are just closed to camping. When it came to bathing, she had to go back to washing just her face and armpits. Only this time, without any soap or bodywash. She would launder out first one shirt to drape out over her backpack while wearing the other, and vice versa. But only one pair since she was going to wear each of them for a week. And she did keep one of the other shirts unused for when she reached Winnipeg so that she can freshen up in a motel. The same is true for a pair of pants, socks, underwear, and brassiere.

It was a long road, and a tedious one too, like it had been back in the Atlantic provinces. Each and every day it was the same old thing. The only points of difference were when she passed through the communities along the way. Since these were small ones, she inevitably got stares from many of the locals. Sakaki discovered that not all Westerners considered staring to be rude. Although many of them looked almost like her own people. These must be the indigenous peoples she had learned about. Japan has indigenous people too, the Ainu (or Utari as they now prefer to be called).

She passed through roughly ten communities on her way west, most of them villages or hamlets. In time, she comes upon a sign that states she is leaving Ontario and entering Manitoba. Throughout Manitoba along the highway, she encounters plenty more communities before they become more frequent. This shows that she keeps getting closer to Winnipeg. More vehicles pass her, and more end up stopping to see if she wanted a lift. Again, she said that she is only hiking.

Sakaki finally comes upon the sign that reads, Winnipeg. Its population, five hundred and sixty-five thousand. She feels stronger now, and no longer gets sore. Out beyond it, she sees skyscrapers and the sun setting behind them. By the time she gets there, it will be nightfall. No matter, she had been walking until twilight had faded enough before settling down for the night.

The sun had since set by the time she crossed the Red River Floodway. She thought of getting a motel since she is now within the city. All she needed to do is pay a visit to a bank. Twilight is now dimmer by the time she reaches the heart of Winnipeg where the Red and Assiniboine Rivers meet.

As she walks down a section of the city, she notes that the buildings looked shabby, making this the slum area of the city. There are people out and they begin noticing her. Increasingly more eyes are cast her way. Wary eyes. Suspicious.

Menacing.

A year ago, Sakaki would have been terrified of them and would have felt so helpless. Only now she feels none. If anything, she feels invincible. As if they are nothing more than mosquitoes. Yet she does feel afraid, after a fact, because she feels as if they are about to learn her secret.

And before she knows it, a large group of young men approach her from various directions. They are all dressed relatively the same as they all wear leather and jean jackets with matching names on them.

"Hey there, baby," their leader said with a slick smile. He is a dangerous looking fellow with a gash down one cheek. "You're traveling in our territory. In order for you to have safe passage, you have to pay the toll. You give us everything you got and spend a little time with us."

The other fellows, about twenty in all, make comments of approval. With some making comments of the things they want to do with her.

Sakaki remains silent and just looks at him nonchalantly. She glances back to see more of them blocking her path, making thirty in all.

"Oh, I see, the silent type," the leader grinned sickeningly. "Perfect, that means you won't be making a fuss." And he reaches out to grab hold of her arm.

"You are very rude," Sakaki answered curtly as she pulls her arm away before he can grab her. "Will you please go away."

"Told ya she's Oriental," one of the gangbangers said.

"Mmm, Chinese pussy," the leader said as he reaches out to grab her again.

"I'm Japanese," Sakaki said on a reflex as she ducks away from him once again.

"Okay, Japanese pussy," the leader corrected as he once again tries to grab her. But she proves to be hard to grab yet again as she is enhancing her speed by using her strength.

"Pussy?" Sakaki said quizzically. "Are you calling me a kitten?"

The gang smirks then laughs.

"Your pussy is your twat!" The leader exclaimed through gales of laughter while making gestures upon his groin.

Sakaki suddenly gets the mental image of her genitalia in the form of a mewing kitten. She doubles over while pressing her hands to her mouth as her face turns blood red. From now on, she resolves not to so much as even trim a single pubic hair, let alone pluck so much as a single one out.

But this moment of amusement robs her of her focus as she is roughly grabbed by the leader.

"Now let's have some of your pussy," the leader smiled gleefully.

Sakaki focuses on her strength once again, if only a little, then flings him aside. Causing looks of bewilderment from his friends.

"Shit, she's a strong bitch! Mob her!" The leader yelled as he gets to his feet.

The gang all move quickly to grab her. Sakaki dives to one side while augmenting her strength up high, knocking some of the gangbangers to their feet. She rolls onto her feet.

"Fuck, it's like gettin' hit by a car!" one of the down members groaned as he gets back up.

"You're tougher than we thought," the leader snarled. "Well so are we!" And he pulls out a knife, along with some of the other members. Although others pull out various types of weapons.

Sakaki knows that her fists will be better than any hand-to-hand combat weapon. Even without augmenting her strength, her punches will be akin to wearing steel gauntlets. But she was trained to use a sword. And that training began compelling her to whip one of them out. Except that might draw attention. There has to be something else she can use instead of a sword.

That is when one of the gang members comes at her with his metal pipe held high to strike, but Sakaki catches his arm and twists, causing him to cry out and drop his pipe. She quickly flings him into his buddies and kneels to pick up that pipe. Just in time too as another one comes at her with a baseball bat as he holds it high and now brings it down in an arc to strike her.

Sakaki raises the pipe to counter the attack like a sword, then continues in a backhand arc to knock her attacker off balance before swinging back to strike him across the face with the pipe. The thug goes down and doesn't get back up.

This time the whole gang attempts to attack her en mass. But Sakaki is quicker than any of them, making them look stiff.

She greets one with a vicious jab to his solar plexus with the pipe. Then spins around him counterclockwise and smacks a chain wielding thug across the wrist, causing him to drop his weapon. Sakaki spins low and strikes him deep across the stomach with a wide slashing motion, then roundhouse kicks him into his friend. Another thug comes at her with a machete, and he seems a little more skilled with it as he tries to stab, instead of slash her. But she counters it by knocking it away with her weapon held vertically. And instead of smacking him across the face with it, she smacks him across his knees and he falls screaming in pain as he clasps them.

One gang member does manage to smack her across the head with a wooden stick almost two inches thick, but he may as well have struck her with a sponge bat. Sakaki quickly returns the favor with the lead pipe, causing him to go down.

She just barely misses getting slashed across the face. Not that it would have mattered though, it was just that she didn't want to be seen regenerating before them. As she ducks, she raises her weapon in a backhanded arc to strike him across the wrist. Then forces him into his friend who had been stabbing at her with a knife, who ends up stabbing him instead. The stabber is shocked at whom he had stabbed and Sakaki takes the initiative to crack him across the head.

On and on, the gang members attack. Only to be dropped one-by-one through Sakaki's counters and attacks. With half the gang now down and injured, the rest look to each other with bewilderment.

"Holy fuckin' shit! She's one tough bitch!" A gangbanger screamed.

"She must be some goddamn ninja!" Another gangbanger screamed.

"I-I think we better get outta here!" Another gangbanger quavered.

The leader sneers at her with a mixture of bewilderment and defiance, then quickly reaches into his jacket and pulls out a gun.

"Let's see you dodge bullets," he snarled and starts shooting at her, emptying the full clip.

Sakaki feels the hot bullets tear into her body, but they don't hurt. Some of them even hit her bones, only to stop as if they had struck armor plating. Already she can feel the tingling sensations as the wounds now rapidly closed. Don had once explained to her that any foreign object in an immortal's body will be rejected out through their skin. This she knew as she felt them being pushed out through her and lodge inside her shirt.

The leader this time lowers his gun, looking thoroughly bewildered. His friends are ready to bolt. Then his expression changes to one of smirking relief.

"Oh, now I get it," he grinned, then quickly removes the clip and throws it down. "Bulletproof vest." He quickly reaches back into his jacket and pulls out another clip, shoving it into the handle with a click.

"Then I'm gonna aim for your limbs," he sneered as he cocks it and takes careful aim this time. "And then we're gonna fuck you raw."

That is when sirens can be heard rapidly approaching. The leader glances back and forth between Sakaki and behind himself several times. His expression one of increasing frustration. The rest of his gang is tempted to bolt.

"Next time, bitch!" The leader snarled furiously as he ardently points his gun at her before he turned and run, forcing the others to run with him.

The sirens are louder now, sounding as if they are mere seconds away from turning the corner. Sakaki quickly drops her weapon and runs the other way. She will have to explain everything, and they might even frisk her down and find her swords. Or worse, they might think that she had started this. Then she will be arrested and have a background check done upon her, ultimately leading them to Japan. She feels her heart racing over that prospect. Her parents learning that she is still alive. All of Japan.

Or even the entire world.

That is when a police car turns the corner up ahead of her, catching her in its headlights. Sakaki quickly notices an alleyway off to one side and runs down it. The car stops in front of it and the officers are quick to get out in pursuit of her. One of them yells for her to stop, that they are police; while the other now radios that they are in pursuit of a suspect on foot.

Sakaki runs while enhancing her night vision, along with her strength, which in turn enhances her speed, easily outrunning them. Turning another corner, she comes to a dead-end. There is a ladder up above, but is out of reach. With all of the strength that she can muster, she jumps as high as she can, grabbing onto the ladder, causing the end to fall. But she manages to keep her hold and climb up it so that by the time she successfully gets upon the first platform, the police only just come into view.

"Stop or we'll shoot!" One of them yelled. But Sakaki is already halfway up the first set of stairs. A shot is fired and a bullet ricochets off the metal railing near her, creating a spark. Sakaki keeps running, bounding up the stairs with her enhanced strength. She hears one of them making a comment over how fast she is.

Sakaki keeps running ever upward. She now hears her pursuers climbing up the ladder. By that time, she reaches the last platform, ready to run upon the roof.

Once upon the roof, she looks around. That is when she notices the river off in the distance as the lights of the city reflect off it. She gets an idea and runs forward and reaches over the edge. Sakaki clasps hold of the edge of the roof and with all of the strength she musters flips herself over.

She hit her back against the wall, making her grunt, but she keeps hanging on. Despite her augmented strength, her grip slowly begins slipping. Already they are close as she can tell by their footfalls that they have only one more set of stairs to run up. She looks to one side of her to see that the arches have gaps in them and first grabs hold of one arch, getting a firm grip onto it, then the other and presses her body flat against the wall. Her enhanced strength enabling her to hold this position simply because she feels so light to herself now.

"Where did he go!?" One of them is heard yelling. She hears them running to either side, each calling to the other over finding nobody. They work their way up to the front of the roof where she is hanging directly beneath them.

"Nothing!" One of them said.

"Where the hell could he have gone!" The other fumed.

Sakaki feels a touch of relief over his mistaking her gender. Now if she can just get away, they will end up looking for a man and not a woman.

"He could've ducked in through one of the windows on our way up!"

"I don't think so or we would've caught up to him."

"Well he's not up here, and it did take us time to crawl up that ladder. Enough time for him to open a window, slide in, close it, and get the hell outta sight."

"Fine, let's check the windows."

Sakaki enhances her hearing to listen to them walking away. She hears each of their footfalls on the metal fading as they work their way back down. Now she needed to get down from here and presses her feet against the wall then launches herself away from it. She falls five stories to the ground, knocking the wind out of herself for a moment. Sakaki lies there for a couple of seconds, blinking a few times, before she quickly gets back up and enhances her night vision, then starts running toward the river.

Only to hear a shout of stop.

Sakaki picks up speed. Just not so much that it might appear extraordinary. This time more officers pursue her. Worse, she now hears barking from behind her.

The river grows ever closer, and so do those dogs. It seems as if she won't make it. Under the cover of darkness, she does a momentary burst of speed, thereby putting a bit more distance between herself and the dogs. Now she is closer to the shoreline.

Her feet hit the shoreline just as the dogs are a couple of minutes away from snagging her. She is now treads water and is up to her knees a second later. The water is cold, yet it doesn't bother her. She is now up to her thighs, needing to fully enhance her strength to hurry through the resistance of the water. Next, she is up to her waist. Then her stomach, her chest.

The dogs don't follow her as they just stand there on shore barking at her. Their masters are now there too, commanding her to come back. This time shots are fired and the bullets strike into the water next to her. Further and further she quickly slogs and now the water is up to her neck. Now her chin, mouth, nose.

Finally she submerges.

Sakaki crawls along the bottom, continuing her way across the river, going ever deeper. She brings up her night vision and everything seems to light up. Deeper and deeper, she goes. Finally, the river is now deep enough that she can walk upright to find that she's at least a dozen feet underwater, but that's not the full depth of it. Finally she's in the middle and the depth between her crown and the surface is roughly twice that now. The river flows lazily so it's not hard to fight the current.

Then it comes to her. This river flows from America! From North Dakota! There will be a change in plans this time. She won't go to Brandon after all. Instead, she will try and sneak across the American border.

She turns to face the current and begins walking. Now it gets a little more difficult and she still needs to keep her strength fully enhanced, while at the same time, keeping her night vision on. She finds it to be like walking against a gale. Now nobody will be able to come after her.


	16. Chapter 15

Sakaki keeps walking along the bottom of the river. It's a difficult thing to do since the flow of the river is perpetually against her. Water didn't go down her throat, up her nose, nor in her ears, despite it flowing against her. It's as if a pressure is being exerted from within herself as great as the pressure being exerted by the water. The wool that her coat is made from kept her weighed down a bit, since wool readily soaks up water. Between the night and the depth of the river, she should be invisible to the casual observer. When they begin dredging the river for her, they will be checking down the river and not up it because they won't be expecting her to actually walk up the riverbed.

Yet she begins to doubt if this is really a good idea after all. It's a tiring task going against the flow of the river, and she needed to will forth her endurance along with her strength. Then there is the fact that she needed to hold not only her stamina and strength, but her night vision as well, all simultaneously. One slip in her concentration and she will be knocked over and left in the dark. Something that did happen several times. Again her concentration slips and she gets pushed back within the watery darkness feeling exhausted, before recovering once again.

Since human eyes are meant to see through air and not water, everything looks hazy to her. Yet that still doesn't prevent her from being able to make out the twists and bends in the river and turn with them. Now that she is thinking about her vision, she notices that she isn't blink. In fact, she feels no need to blink. It's the water all around her. Blinking is what keeps the eyes moist but there is now no need to blink. Yet there are the odd moments that she needed to in order to adjust her vision and keep her concentration.

As for the rate at which she is walking, she should be at least across the border in twenty-four hours. That in itself might be a problem because if she rises out of the water, then somebody might see her. It's best that she not only pass the whole night traveling underwater, but also the next day as well.

Then it's settled. She will only come out of the river tomorrow after the sun has set and it gets dark enough. She finally gets an epiphany of just how much this parallels Don's escape from Ireland.

Onward Sakaki continues to travel. It's slow and difficult because she can only walk as fast as a normal person in a gale head on. More twists and bends in the river make Sakaki realize that rivers tend not to flow in strictly straight lines. The night seems to be eternal. Also, the bottom of the river is far from smooth as large and smooth rocks cover it. They are covered with slick algae and she needs to tread carefully. When it got too slippery to walk any further, she resorts to crawling along the bottom, pulling herself along by digging her hands within the crevices of the rocks. Not all of the bottom is rocky as there are times when she comes across mud. That became a problem because the mud is squishy, causing a foot to sink whenever she tread on it. There are some fish swimming all around, but they keep their distance from her.

There is also junk lying around, including a wrecked bicycle that she passes along the way. Even though she is feeling the cold of the water, it doesn't affect her. That is, it should have knocked her out before now and sent her into a state of hypothermia. Only such a thing will never happen because she is just as alert as if she is warm and dry. Urinating is not a problem since she can just let herself go without dropping her pants.

And as always, Sakaki took frequent lapses in her concentration and got plunged into darkness once again to be sent stumbling against the current.

The next time she takes another lapse, she suddenly notices that it's a little brighter up above the surface. She feels tempted to go up and take a look, but just as quickly suppresses it because that might risk exposure if somebody sees her. It slowly begins getting ever brighter. And with it, Sakaki's worry that somebody might see her. But then realizes that between the depth and the bottom's coloration, it might help her blend in.

The day gets increasingly brighter now. It can only mean that the sun is rising. Sakaki no longer needs to rely upon her night vision. This is good because now she only needs to keep her strength and stamina augmented. At the same time, she wonders if anyone passing by might look down into the water and see her. She passes several bridges and faintly sees people walking above them. All any of them need to do is look down and notice the shape of a person trudging along the bottom. Or at least a faint outline of something down below.

Or are they looking down at her right now? That thought fills Sakaki with fear and this compels her to walk all the faster, even though she feels tired having to perpetually fight the current.

The sun climbs ever higher, making the bottom brighter. Yet it's still like twilight down there. Like it had been for her under the ocean, she is unable to swallow any water. Too bad, since she now feels a little thirsty. This means she will need to poke her head up out of the water, possibly above her mouth, in order to drink some water. She smirks and would have laughed if she were capable of moving her diaphragm, because the irony of the situation is not lost on her.

There are moments when she comes across other brooks and rivers that feed into the Red River. It confused her for a moment until she looks closely at the river bed she is upon to see that it's red and not the others.

By midday, the sun is overhead and at its brightest now as she can see it as a distorted yellow circle. Her hunger pangs are now a rumble as well.

The day grows increasingly late. Yet it may as well seem as if years are passing her by as far as Sakaki is concerned. She just keeps trudging along the bottom. The consequences of walking against a continuous current becomes more intense each and every time her concentration wanes. It seems as if she is on the verge of collapsing and being washed down the river. This truly is the most difficult thing she has every done before. It's worse than her previous two long hikes. At least when it gets dark enough, she will be able to get out of the river. She wonders just how far she has gone now. Being underwater for all last night and today made it feel so disorienting to her. As far as she is concerned, she might still be inside of Canada. Or perhaps now walked all the way to South Dakota.

But she needs to persevere and keep moving. All along the way, there are some boats moving above her.

After what seemed an eternity, the day grows dim. Sakaki comes upon a wharf and decides to hide out within it. There is a large enough space for her to crawl into and she does so. Now all she has to do is wait until it gets dark enough. She keeps her stamina up this time for if she let go of that she might never be able to so much as crawl out of the water. In the meantime, she reaches inside of her shirt and casually removes the bullets that her body had rejected. Some of them having molded to the contours of her ribs. She frowns at the bullet holes in her coat and shirt, and no doubt in her brassiere.

Slowly, but surely, the day grows ever later. Already she finds it harder to see without bringing up her night vision. Yet she must go without it so that she can gauge just how dark it will get before she feels comfortable enough to get out. During that whole time, nobody comes around.

Being underwater this whole time makes her think back to when she first discovered her immortality. It made her remember her friends as they sat there lifelessly. How they slowly bobbed with a macabre choreographed rhythm as their hair swayed within the water, while their eyes were half-closed and rolled up as their mouths hung slightly open.

Like they are all doing right now as they stand before her.

Sakaki jolts and they vanish in an instance. She feels drained and needs to summon her stamina once again. It's completely dark now. She had dozed off, and underwater of all places!

Sakaki summons her night vision once again and looks to where the embankment rises, then heads toward it. Soon, she feels her crown break the surface, then her forehead. Next are her eyebrows, then her eyes. She pauses for a moment to see if anyone is there on the shore or near it, but there's no one. Only forest can be seen past the shoreline. She continues walking and her nose is next to break the surface and she is able to breathe through it once again. Next is her mouth and she takes a moment to drink deeply to quench her thirst. She enhances her hearing to listen intently for anyone talking. There is no sound other than the trees rustling in the breeze.

Sakaki continues trudging onward as inch by inch, the water falls ever lower, until she is finally able to stand on the shore as water drizzles off her. She takes a deep breath, causing a break in her concentration, making her stumble. Weakness racks her body and she had to enhance her stamina once again to stand up. She rubs her face with a downward stroke with both hands then slicks her hair back. So far, so good. Once again, she wills her night vison forth and sees a dirt road leading from the wharf into the forest. Wherever she is, she at least knows that she is no longer in Winnipeg. But is she in America now? She gets a vague feeling that she isn't, given the circumstances of her previous jaunt.

Sakaki looks down at herself and frowns at all of the water dripping off. But she feels too exhausted to ring it out. Already, her concentration begins feeling as if she is trying to keep hold of something slippery with just her fingernails. This forces her to release her night vision in the effort to try and devote more of her willpower to maintaining her stamina. It's a little better, if not by a great deal. Any moment now, her concentration will slip and she might not be able to summon her stamina forth again.

Sakaki starts walking down that dirt road, hoping to at least find something that remotely passes for a shelter before she collapses. She had to navigate the road strictly by the light and dark contrasts between it and the rest of the forest. Already she feels lightheaded from her lack of sleep.

She continues walking down that dirt road. Staggering is a better word now. There is nothing in sight for her to sleep within as of yet. It's as she crosses a bridge over a brook that she happens to notice a gaping hole in the side of the shore. Enhancing her night vision once more, if only by a little since bringing it up full will make her lose her endurance completely, she makes out that it's a fairly wide drainage pipe. It's not a bed but it will have to do, she thought. And she goes over to it. This time she is forced to let go of her night vision as any second now, she seems on the verge of losing her concentration. It seems to be held only by a pinch of her fingernails now. There are moments when she almost trips and it's only by the sheer force of her failing willpower that she doesn't fall.

The drainage pipe is large enough for her to easily crawl into, yet she won't be able to sit up. No matter, she pulls herself in, feeling mud crumble under her. This means that it hasn't been used in a long time. Just one fingernail pressed against Teflon is all that is keeping her concentration now. In a few more seconds, it will be gone.

Getting into a comfortable position, Sakaki is now only a second away, but releases her essence. She is hit with a tsunami of exhaustion and cannot even open her eyes now. Between her soaking wet clothes, the ridges of the metal she lies upon, and the brook constantly babbling behind her, she wonders if she will be able to sleep inside of this thing.

Any other mortal would have ended up endangering their health in this state. Chilling constricts the blood vessels in the nose, causing less blood flow. Less blood flow means fewer blood cells there, including white blood cells. And that means it becomes easier for viruses and bacteria to enter the bloodstream. But there is also the hypothermia beforehand.

But as for sleep? Her answer now comes as her consciousness quickly washes away.

The next thing she is aware of is the loud blaring of a horn nearby, causing her to jolt and nearly hit her head upon the top part of the drainage pipe. Sakaki gasps and shakes her head to clear her thoughts. Again the horn blares. It's definitely directed toward her. She looks back to see that her feet are visible from that bridge. Once again the horn blares and Sakaki begins the difficult task of crawling out backwards. At least she feels well-rested now as she feels lighter without needing to augment her strength. Her clothes are still dripping wet.

Once she gets out, she is able to stand and takes a deep breath. Relief settles through her. She sees that it's late in the morning, possibly close to noon. A green truck is idling on the bridge. There are two people inside who had been driving away from the wharf. It can only mean that they had passed by and didn't see her. Nor did Sakaki in turn hear them, showing her just how tired she had been.

She goes over to the brook and splashes water on her face to clear the sleepiness out of her head. The truck is still there and Sakaki goes over to them, wanting to know where the nearest town is.

"Did you have a good sleep?" The driver joked after she approached the window. "It's almost noon." He is Caucasian and middle-aged with a portly physique. He has graying brown hair with a mustache and has blue eyes and wore glasses. His occupant is a Caucasian middle-aged woman with greying light brown hair and brown eyes. Possibly his wife.

"Are you all right, my dear?" The woman said with concern. "You could catch a cold soaking wet like that."

"I got lost and ended up falling into the river last night," Sakaki lied, sort of. "What's the closest town from here?"

"That would be St. Pierre-Jolys," the man answered. "Hop in the back and we'll give you a lift there, seeing that you're all wet. Is there any particular place you're going to?"

"Is there any place to stay there, like a hotel or motel?" Sakaki asked.

"There are three places," the woman answered. "The Gite deForest, Chateau Des Sages, and the St. Pierre Hotel."

Sakaki asks what the cheapest one is and asks to be taken there. Once there, she gets out and thanks them before going up to an ATM machine in its lobby to withdraw some money before going inside.

"What happened to you?" the female clerk mused with a wince. She is Caucasian with black curly hair and grey eyes. "Did you swim up the Rat River or what?"

"The Rat River?" Sakaki asked tentatively. "I thought it was called the Red River?"

"Well the Rat River does empty into the Red River."

Sakaki twitches an eyebrow in irritation. She had taken the wrong river after all.

"I fell into the river," she lied, throwing off the clerk's suspicions. "How far is it to the American border?" Wondering if she is still in Canada.

"It's thirty miles directly south of here," the clerk answered.

Sakaki nods politely. Inside, she is flustered. That river only slowed her down. At least it did get her out of Winnipeg.

She arrived at her room and set to the task of drying off. But not before she takes a bath first, strangely. There is a robe for her to wear as she launders her clothes. Her coat she simply hangs up in the bathroom to dry. Next it's something to eat as she had since finished off what she had bought back in Thunder Bay.

Sakaki decides to spend the day here. After a meal and her clothes are dried, she goes to check out the local library to find the place she is in and finds it. All she needed to do is walk directly south upon that highway without deviating from it.

But she just can't cross that border without a passport. The passport which had been burned in the accident. She had thought to keep her bank card on herself, yet she never thought to do the same thing with her own passport. Nor with her wedding picture for that matter. She just can't understand why people obsessed over wanting to keep remembering certain things, while being oblivious to other things that are just as important to keep remembering. Perhaps she might understand, someday, once her intelligence gets sharper.

Nothing she can do about it now. It's all gone and that is that. The only thing she can do is try and figure out how to cross the border without being discovered. Simply walking across it is the easiest thing to do. It's the world's longest undefended border and that means there will be no wall with barbed wire and soldiers guarding it. Yet that doesn't mean that there isn't a border patrol that doesn't keep watch for people trying to sneak across it. Especially in this post Nine Eleven world. The same for trying to sneak across while hiding within a vehicle. The latter will sooner get her caught than the first.

It looks like it's back to the river, filling Sakaki with frustration once again. She is just enjoying being dry and rested. But it has to be done.

Early that next morning, she pays her bill and leaves, going south. But not before depositing leftover money back into her account. She comes within a couple of miles of the border late the following night. Plus a river that she remembered seeing in a North American road atlas back at that library in St. Pierre-Joly. It's called the Roseau River and it flows from the southwest. Good enough, and Sakaki begins wading into it until she submerges. It doesn't seem as wide nor as deep as the Red River but it's close enough to hide her.

Like it was within the Red River, so it is for her as she begins walking against the flow. For the rest of the night, all the next day and unto dusk, she keeps walking.

When it gets dark enough, she gets out and is once again forced to enhance her stamina as she begins heading south, remembering that it's to be on her right the whole time, using the current as judge. Except this is wilderness and she is forced to bed down in the brush, once again soaking wet.

Sakaki awakens early that next morning still soaking wet as the sun comes up. It also comes to her that she should have at least been shivering violently, since she feels cold enough to do so. Shivering inferred a loss of body heat and it's the body's way of trying to recover it by forcing the muscles to work. So it can only mean that being immortal means never losing too much body heat. This makes her think about immortality in regards to extreme heat. She remembers how over the course of the summer when Don worked her to do those grueling tasks as part of her training she would be sweating a fountain, yet the heat never bothered her. Perhaps heat don't build up in her like it did back when she was still mortal?

Thoughts aside, she begins stripping off her clothes and wringing them out, having to enhance her strength when it comes to her coat. She needs to remove the swords first, though the katana sheathe needs to be wrung around it. She wrings her clothes out by folding them then squeezing them. There are no bugs to be found on them since it's now the middle of the fall. Since she is in the wilderness and under the cover of brush, she can strip completely naked.

After getting each and every item of clothing wrung out, she put them back on. Putting her spares back in her knapsack, she heads south.

As the day progresses, she hopes to be able to dry off properly. She soon comes out onto a dirt road stretching east to west. She wonders which way to go and decides to go east since the sun will be in her back. Is she in America this time?

Sakaki continues walking down that road, before coming across another road attached to it going south. She takes that one and it leads to a paved road. Which in turn eventually leads her to a town called Greenbush. By this time, she is relatively dry. Sakaki breathes a sigh of relief when she comes to a local library, after getting directions to it, to see an American flag and another flag up either of its two flagpoles. Inside, she checks a North American road atlas to see just where she is and discovers that she is in Minnesota. Furthermore, she needs to take the Eleven State Highway and keep traveling it until she comes to the border with North Dakota. Then it's south on the Twenty-Nine Interstate Highway all the way to Grand Forks. Finally, it's west onto the Second American Highway and she will be in Rugby.

Altogether this is going to be roughly 402 kilometers (250 miles).

Yet she had already traveled hundreds of them and got this far. So what odds about there being more distance left to her destination? She leaves to do a check of her bank account and finds only two thousand five hundred dollars left. Should she truly take a bus the rest of the way there, she wondered. She is an illegal immigrant now and if the authorities find out, then it's over.

It will have to be walking once again. That plane ride still weighing heavily on her mind.

Once again, she buys something that she can ration. That being cereal bars and vitamins. Beef jerky too. Sakaki then flirts with the idea of just forgoing eating for the next two weeks. It's not like she will die. But she will still suffer from the effects of starvation as it will affect her appearance and her level of energy. And she can't keep augmenting her stamina to see her all the way through to the end. Or else she might end up collapsing somewhere along the highway and be taken to a hospital where they might end up discovering who she is. Along with her secret.

Sakaki now stands on the Eleven State Highway, staring down it as it leads southwest. It will take her probably two weeks to get to where she wants to go.

And it all started with a single step as it had always been done. Ever since she left Don's cabin, back in Newfoundland.


	17. Chapter 16

It did take her two weeks to finally arrive in Grand Forks. What she endured was no different than what it had been when she walked through Nova Scotia and New Brunswick or from Thunder Bay to Winnipeg. Only this time, she is more used to it by now. There were moments when some people stopped to offer her a ride.

Like one memorable moment that happened a week into her journey.

"So how far are you going?" A woman asked. She is of dark complexion with black hair and dark brown eyes, suggesting that she Latino. She is wearing a bright pink shirt with pink vinyl pants and white pumps, along with a multi-colored necklace and silver earrings.

"I am going to Drayton, North Dakota."

"Oh, sorry but I'm going further north. Although I can drop you off at the turnoff up ahead. Take about fifteen miles off your journey."

Sakaki got in next to her and they are off.

"My name's Maria Santos, what 's your, honey?"

"Sakaki Eiei."

"Please to meet you, Sakaki. You Chinese or Japanese?"

"Japanese."

There is a moment of silence as they drive along. Maria keeps glancing over at Sakaki with a small smile on her face. Her eyes roving up and down.

"You Japanese look so exotic," Maria said wispfully.

"Uh, thank you," Sakaki answered as she blushes a bit. This Maria now started making her feel uncomfortable.

"Are you married? Have a boyfriend?"

"I was briefly married, but my husband died. He got killed in an accident."

"Oh, so sorry to hear that. I'm not married and am currently still single."

They come to the turnoff as Maria points it out. She pulls over by the road for a moment before looking straight at Sakaki. That smile upon her face.

"You wouldn't happen to be the curious sort now would you?" Maria asked with that tone and look.

Sakaki knows that tone and look for what they are. Because it was the type that Kaori used to give her back in high school.

"No," she replied in a firm but quiet tone, then opens the door. "Well, thank you for the ride, Maria Santos, but this is where I must get out now." And she closes the door. Maria looks a little disappointed, but drives away.

In spite of that moment, there seemed to be fewer drivers who offered her rides than the ones back in Canada had done.

Night is well underway by the time Sakaki is entering the city limits of Grand Forks. The lights of the city become a welcome relief now. There is a moment when a police car turns a corner and drives toward Sakaki, causing her heart to skip a beat. The officers give her a passing glance. For a moment, she ends up imagining them immediately pulling over and jumping out of their car to apprehend her. But only for that moment as it's gone as quickly as it had formed when they merely drive past her without a falter in their speed.

Sakaki wants to find a place to stay for the night and arrives at a hotel. Once at an ATM, she withdraws two hundred dollars, leaving only two thousand two hundred dollars left in her account (the one hundred she withdrew two weeks ago to buy rations). Inside, she rents a room and immediately sets to getting a bath, then getting her clothes laundered next. Finally it's a decent meal and off to bed. No sooner does she hit the bed before she goes out like the light. Her dreams undisturbed.

She awakens that morning to a bright and sunny day. How late in the day is it now? Sakaki checks the telephone to find that it's now ten A.M. After having breakfast and paying her bill, she is about to leave when she notices a map of North Dakota upon a wall. She goes over to it and studies it carefully. She finds Grand Forks, since it's circled on the map, then does a quick search for Rugby since she remembers it's location and finds it. It's along that very highway that leaves Grand Forks.

Sakaki now feels an overwhelming sense of relief. Her adversary is there, waiting for her. Only a distance of 241 kilometers (150 miles) now seperates herself from certain death. She leaves once again, but not before stopping in a store along the way to purchase more non-perishable food items for her trek.

By noon, she is now standing upon Route Two of the American four-laned divided highway as it stretches ever onward to the west. She is holding a now half-eaten sandwich in one hand and a bottle of cola in the other. She stands there for a moment, taking another bite out of her sandwich and washes it down with some cola, while contemplating the last leg of her trip. There is no other way to ponder it as it is a black and white issue. Either she comes out of this alive by vanquishing the Hunter, or she becomes his one hundred and first vanquishment.

After finishing her lunch, she takes a deep breath and begins walking. It will be another long walk.

Sakaki feels a little bewildered by all of the open space around her. There are plenty of hills, if only of the low and rolling kind, but hardly any trees. It's mostly grass as far as she can see, even with her vision heightened, along with various crops growing too. It's all so disorienting to her as she is used to high mountains and forests since that is what Japan is like. Kanto Plain, where Tokyo is upon, is the largest plain in all of Japan. All while she was still in Canada and up until she left Grand Forks, there had been typically forested mountains and tall hills. Even if those mountains looked more like high worn hills rather than the soaring peaked moutains that make up Japan. With this much open space, it feels as if the sky is about to fall upon her. Yet it also looks as if the sky and land are touching in the distance.

For several days she walks, resting in places where she can. Something that is hard to do when there is only grass for cover. No driver stopped to offer her a lift. Even if they had done so, she might have ended up refusing them because she is certainly in no hurry to confront the Hunter. She does pass through various communities along the way, even staying in a Bed and Breakfast. These are cheaper and she wishes that she had stayed in them more often earlier on in her journey.

It's afternoon when she finally arrives upon a sign welcoming her to Rugby, the geographical center of North America. It doesn't state the population, but she remembers it having a population of three thousand people.

Sakaki takes a deep breath. Already she can feel a ticklish tingling feeling in her palms and groin. Is he waiting for her at the very entrance to the town? No, not in broad daylight will he fight her with so many potential witnesses around. Nonetheless, she is now on the alert for that familiar feeling another immortal will give her.

Further and further she walks, the town getting ever closer. No feeling yet. Finally, she enters the town and again no feeling. She remembers that the center of North America is marked by a four-sided cairn.

Sakaki soon finds it. It looks to be around twenty feet tall with the bottom around six feet in diameter. The cairn is made of stones held together with mortar and gradually narrows upward, before overtly narrowing to a pyramid-like point with a metal sphere held aloft by a rod at its top. Upon either side of the cairn are large metal plaques with white bas-relieved words that state, _Geographical Center of North America, Rugby, ND._ The cairn rests upon a heart-shaped dias made of cement. The end has a set of steps and there are three floodlights facing the cairn, along with a bench situated up against it. Three flagpoles are nearby, each adorned with either the American, Canadian, and Mexican flag.

For an instance, Sakaki thinks that she feels his presence. But it was only her imagination because he is nowhere around. Is he watching her from somewhere else? No, or she would have immediately felt his presence and zeroed in on him as Aria had once explained to her.

So she is to wait for him then? How long? What if he lied? No, he is intent on vanquishing her. It's just that he is giving her a chance to prove herself to him, and to challenge himself at the same time.

From Newfoundland all the way to here in nearly two months and it seems so anti-climatic. She is half-expecting to see him waiting for her with sword in hand. She actually feels a touch of disappointment as she sits upon that bench.

That is when she takes notice a teenaged girl walking hesitantly up to her as she stares intently. She is Caucasian with a medium complexion, brown hair, and brown eyes. That girl reminds Sakaki of Osaka. Her physique, hairstyle, and the manner she carries herself. In fact, if Osaka had been Caucasian, then this girl could have easily ended up being her. Even if Sakaki doesn't feel as spooked by her as she had been by Carrie Miyazaki, she still feels a little uneasy.

"Excuse me, but is your name, Sakaki?" The girl asked when she gets close enough. Even her voice sounded similar to Osaka's!

"Y-Yes," she quickly stated as she rises and walks up to the girl.

"Oh, I figured you had to be because you fit the description I was given," the girl said with relief. She then holds a piece of paper out to her. "I was told by a man to give this to you."

"Was he a tall muscular Black man with a beard?" Sakaki asked as she takes it from her.

"Yes he was," she stated. "Although he didn't look entirely like a Black man, he was more of being mixed race. It was the wierdest thing too. He gave me that about half an hour ago, saying that you were coming very soon and even gave me your description. You know him?"

"Yes," Sakaki stated as she is now looking at a phone number. Then looks up and notices that the girl still stands there. "That is all, you may go."

The girl turns to walk away.

"Wait," Sakaki said, causing the girl to stop and regard her. Damn, she truly does look like a Caucasian version of Osaka. "What is your name?"

"Karen," she answered. "Karen Smith."

Sakaki blinks momentarily. "Thank you, Karen Smith," she bowed slightly to her. "That is all."

Karen walks away as Sakaki watchs her go for a bit before studying that piece of paper once again. All she needs to do is find a phone and call him. No doubt he will be giving her instructions on where to meet her.

Sakaki locates a motel and rents a room. If this is to be her last night alive, she may as well stay in a motel room for the time being. Once in her room, she picks up a phone and dials. It only rings once.

"So you finally came," the Hunter immediately said.

"Where are you!?" Sakaki demanded in an icy tone.

"All in due time," he answered casually. "You must have had a long trip here. Did you walk?"

"For most of the way."

"Very good. That will have strengthened you. Did you have any encounters? Fights?"

"In New Brunswick, I crossed paths with another immortal. A four hundred year old woman and was forced to dual her for my life before I finally vanquished her. When I arrived in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada I was attacked by a street gang and had to fight them off."

"Very good," the Hunter said with soft approval. "Very good."

"Okay, I am obviously asking the wrong question here," Sakaki said as she briefly rubs her forehead. Frustration tinging her tone. "Where do you want to meet, and when?"

"Return to that marker around midnight and look underneath the bench," the Hunter answered, then hangs up.

Sakaki frowns slightly for a moment. She presses down on the receiver buttons then presses the redial button. Only to get nothing. This forces her to hang up because she now knows that he won't be answering it ever again. She feels like rushing back out there to force a confrontation, then just as quickly dismisses it. Again, eyewitnesses. Night time will offer the perfect cover to dual him. Yet midnight is a long way off. What can she do to pass the time?

That is when she closes the curtains and moves the furniture out of the way. She goes over to her coat and withdraws her swords and begins practicing with them. Focusing on all of the manouvers she was taught, and remembers when she had been fighting Aria Martel.

Sakaki glides into one form then the next, using first one sword then the other. The final showdown is coming at midnight and she needed to put herself into that frame of mind. Even as she still practices the forms, the day still isn't ending any sooner. For hours, she drills herself with them until the sun is now close to setting. She then goes to have a shower and puts on the leather pants and purple shirt, securing the sleeves up above her elbows.

Sakaki watchs the sunset through a large bay window as she sits at a table in the motel's restaurant. She is having what just might be her last supper (as the sunset might be for her). It consists of a porterhouse steak saturated with steak sauce, sauteed onions and mushrooms, and a baked potato, with a root beer to wash it down. Then has a piece of fudge cake for dessert. It's a good meal and it should be digested by midnight, which is still several hours away. She purchases a pair of pink and white sneakers since her boots now show signs of wear and tear.

Once back in her room, she simply sits there and waits. Twilight fades with such maddening slowness that it seems as if Earth is trying to keep her alive for as long as it can. At one point, she fancies that Earth had stopped turning. Yet slowly, but surely, time does pass as it gets increasingly darker. Eventually the clock shows midnight being three hours away.

Sakaki uses the toilet before she is to actually leave at eleven o'clock sharp. She removes her necklace of rings to leave with her other stuff, but the keys she keeps in her coat pocket.

Finally, the time comes. With her coat on and swords tucked inside, Sakaki leaves. It's a clear night with a full moon guiding her along. The return walk is a solemn one this time.

Sakaki finally arrives back at that cairn. The floodlights are on, illuminating it. She has yet to feel him then searches underneath the bench, knowing that he had probably left a message. She finds a simple folded sheet taped to the underside and removes it to read it.

_Come to me_, it simply read.

Sakaki looks around, wondering where he is. That is when she feels him, further northwest of the marker. She takes a moment to remove her coat and removes Don's sword to strap upon her back. The plan is simple: she will fight him using Aria's sword. And if she manages to freeze him, use Don's sword to vanquish him by chopping through his neck. She won't even attempt what he did to Don.

Draping the coat over her shoulders, Sakaki takes a deep breath as she momentarily rests her hand upon the katana's hilt, then starts walking. Her heart now racing.

Onward she walks, following that feeling like a well-lit trail. She walks for what must be a few miles, taking her away from the town and into more wilderness with fewer witnesses. There are a few houses off in the distance though.

There! Just off in the distance! Sakaki doesn't need to enhance her vision to know that it's him. She quickens her pace until she is nearly jogging toward him. He isn't moving as he just casually stands there with sword in hand. Closer and closer she gets to him. He is dressed in the same clothes that he wore the day they first met, complete with that brimless skull tight cap.

Until finally . . . finally . . . she is now close enough to him to be able to have a casual conversation with him. Sakaki slips her coat off, allowing it to fall to the ground. For what seems like a long moment, they just stare each other down. Her with a grim expression as she is ready for battle, while the Hunter bears a blank one as he just holds his sword down.

"Well now," Sakaki finally said to break the silence. "After all of this time and effort I took to finally meet you once again, you have nothing to say?"

"You definitely have a different look to you now," he answered casually. "And I'm not talking about your haircut. It's in your eyes. How you talk. How you carry yourself. You no longer look and act like a girl."

"That's because I have been looking forward to this," Sakaki hissed as she readies to lunge at him like a hunting cat with her sword at the ready.

"Allah guides my will once again," he annouced casually, making her relax a little out of curiosity. "I swear upon Him that I will _not_ vanquish you after the first _nor_ second stab, but after the third one instead. And I swear upon Him to cut through your neck instead of the way I had cut through your husband. You have my word on all this as a devout Muslim."

Sakaki remains silent with a touch of bemusement for a moment.

"I'm touched," she finally answered coldly. "But as for me, I will vanquish you after the first stab."

"Then so be it," the Hunter answered casually with a bored expression. "It is the will of Allah."

"And I suppose it has to do with God revealing your imminent victory to you?" Sakaki asked with a chilly sarcasm.

"For almost fourteen hundred years," the Hunter then said as he now seems intent upon studying his sword for a moment, "with each and every immortal that I have ever confronted, I would never know who was going to be the victor. Never once. Yet I was always shown that there will be only one warrior walking away. It is Allah's way of steeling my resolve in my servitude to him."

"Is that what He is showing you right now?" Sakaki stated.

"Yes," the Hunter replied firmly as he next fixes Sakaki with a grim stare. "So this is what He has revealed unto me. It will be either I who will see the sun rise again or you, because one of us will be vanquished by the other before then."

Sakaki steels herself while glaring at him. Her eyes shine with defiance, while the Hunter's shine with stoic contempt.

"Then what are we waiting for?" She said in a low hard and icy tone as she casts an aura over her blade.

She immediately lunges at him with a controlled icy screech. The Hunter rushes to meet her with his now aura-covered sword, along with his own controlled bellowing that seems like a lion's roar. Their swords clash, causing the icy ring of metal to carry throughout the night.

The battle begins.

* * *

**Note:**

**Rugby, North Dakota is not the "true" geographical center of North America. It is actually located fifteen miles northwest of the town. Yet it is still able to keep this claim because the size of continents are determined in the thousands of miles, permitting a margin for error of sixteen miles. Nevertheless, determining the geographical centers of continents is a somewhat controversial issue because there is no generally accepted definition of a geographical center and no reliable way of determining it. They are only imagined as they are viewed as such if the continent were to be perfectly balanced upon a fine point.**


	18. Chapter 17

Swords fly and clang as each try to stab the other. For Sakaki, in spite of her battle with Aria, or those thugs back in Winnipeg, the Hunter is still a more formidable adversary. He is simply faster, stronger, and more skilled. Yet she is still able to hold her ground now. Whereas before when she first tried to seriously combat him, he just grabbed her blade and broke it. The Hunter tries to do that same tactic, but she expects it as she pulls her blade away in time. Not that he would have been successful, what with that aura rendering it indestructible.

"You're a little better," the Hunter said with a glint of admiration. "But only a little."

And he stabs her deeply through her torso.

Sakaki is frozen. Yet she remains perfectly aware. This is it, she now thought, it's all over now. All this time and effort to get here is now in vain. Her entire life flashes before her eyes. Most prominent of it all are her friends and the happy times they all shared together, with Chiyo-chan being the most prominent of them all.

But the Hunter simply backs away, making no attempt to vanquish her. Sakaki finally unfreezes and the wound begins disappearing. She feels both relieved and actually surprised that he kept his word. She next notices that the aura from her blade is gone and brings it back up. Perhaps being frozen makes it disappear.

"Strike one," the Hunter said casually as he holds up one finger.

Once again they clash. Now that Sakaki understands he will attempt it two more times, her mind is now clear of any doubt, making her think more clearly. All she needs to do is successfully stab him while avoid getting stabbed twice more.

The Hunter again tries to stab her, but Sakaki is ready for it as she slashes the sword aside and attempts to stab him on the rebound. Except the Hunter was expecting this and leaps to one side as he knocks her blade aside. Sakaki backs away while readying herself to stab once more. Only to miss his chest and stab him in the upper arm, gashing it down to the bone, severing his bicep. Even though that wound will be gone in nearly no time, it still means that his arm will be useless during that period of time, causing him to drop his sword. Only the Hunter had been super quick to transfer his sword to his other hand.

He jumps back and Sakaki tries to stab him once again. Only this time, he manages to return the favor by skewering her upper right arm, severing her bicep as well. Unlike the Hunter, Sakaki had been holding her sword with both hands, but it means that her right arm will be useless for a very short time, being as the Hunter's wound is almost gone now. To buy time, she backs away to give him a wide berth while trying to circle him. The Hunter is quick to block her path and she is forced to circle the other way. Her wound is almost gone now, but his is now completely gone.

"Good," the Hunter said. "But not good enough."

Sakaki doesn't answer. She knows he was trying to get her to answer back with a taunt of her own in order to set her off balance. This time she won't so much as speak one word to him. With a jolt of strength, she tries to slash him underhanded to knock his blade aside so that she can leave him open. He must have been expecting this because she didn't even budge his sword as it was like trying to hit a pillar. At that instance, the tingling in her right arm is now gone and she quickly capitalizes on this by slashing downward, skinning his hand and attempting to stab him upper handedly. Again, he must have been expecting this tactic because he is just as quick to stoop low to try and trap her sword. Sakaki instead keeps going lower until she almost touches the ground. This time, she slashes him deeply across his left knee, severing tendons, before hurling herself away from him. She lands upon her back and rolls into a crouch.

The Hunter staggers as he favors his other good leg. As it will always be, it won't be for long and Sakaki needs to act fast as she gets to her feet and lunges at him, ready to stab. The Hunter stabs out at her, but she twists in time and is forced to knock his arm away with a mighty slash. While his flesh might have been like paper to her sword, his bones feel as if they are made of diamond and her blade is only of wood.

Since he augmented his strength, the force of the blow she gave him actually causes her to end up hurling herself away from him. Upon landing, she once again rolls to her feet. By now, the injuries to his hand and leg are gone, leaving only the gash upon his arm that is now rapidly disappearing.

Now it's the Hunter's turn to go on the offensive as he makes a quick slashing stroke to knock her sword aside so that he can stab her once again. Sakaki jumps back as she tries to circle to one side of him so as to have a clear shot at his ribs. The Hunter quickly mirrors her as he slashes her across the chest up near her collarbone, though not deeply enough. He has a clear shot at her chest, yet is intent on avoiding her breasts (being the devote Muslim he is). This almost proves fatal for him as Sakaki tries to capitalize by stabbing him through the stomach. The Hunter, however, rapidly spins off to one side, doing a three sixty and slashes her across her left arm, cutting through her tricep.

No sooner had her tricep been cut through than Sakaki rapidly hooks her sword over his sword to trap it between her torso and arm, causing his blade to twist away to prevent it from cutting into her. It's a dangerous maneuver and it does catch him for a moment. She puts all of her strength into keeping his sword trapped as she still feels the tingle in her arm.

"That might work on a weaker opponent," the Hunter said. "But unfortunately for you, I am not."

And he thrust-kicks her in the stomach, sending her flying. It wasn't with all of his strength, but it was enough to send her flying back for about twenty feet like a rag doll. Amazingly, she still keeps a firm hold of her katana. Her internal organs had been ruptured as she now feels them tingling from within. The moment Sakaki lands, he now rushes toward her. She uses all of the speed she can muster to roll back upon her feet. For one split second her front is wide open.

And the Hunter stabs her through her torso, going halfway up his blade before extracting it.

Sakaki is frozen into a rising position, with both of her feet touching the ground. She won't easily fall over unless intently pushed over since she is now geo-locked. Thankfully, she still wields her sword. All the Hunter has to do now is chop through her neck and it will be all over.

But once again he merely stands there. And once again, Sakaki unfreezes and quickly gets back up while casting an aura over her blade. The Hunter just stands there staring intently at her.

"Strike two," he said as he casually holds up two fingers.

This time Sakaki understands that the stakes have just gotten higher. Now she needs to avoid being stabbed by him at all costs or it will be all over for her.

They clash once again. This time Sakaki tries to slide her sword forward so as to stab him through the chest. Only he jumps back as he swings his sword to deflect the oncoming attack and attempts to stab her on the rebound. Sakaki expected this and deflects his oncoming attack. But instead of trying to knock his sword aside, she presses her blade against his own as she quickly ducks under while raising it high to place herself underneath it and do a three sixty. Her goal is to slash him deeply through his stomach, even hoping to actually chop him in half without needing to set him up.

Except he stops the attack by lashing out downward with his forearm. He makes no attempt to grab her blade since she already has another strapped to her back, knowing that she can just easily let go of it and pull out the other one. Yet Sakaki still expects him to grab her katana as she quickly hurls herself backward before landing upon her back and rolling backward onto her feet. For this brief moment, she is now vulnerable.

The Hunter knew this and lunges at her, attempting to stab her for the third and final time.

However, Sakaki manages to slash upward with her blade at a vertical to herself while rising to deflect the oncoming blow with all of her strength, successfully deflecting it. Yet he did get some measure of success because the tip of his blade ends up going into her right eye, which immediately bursts like a water balloon.

Sakaki quickly runs her blade down his own and tries to slash him across the arms, forcing him to pull back. As she gets back up, she uses her momentum to slash him across the arms once again. She ends up missing once again as he quickly jumps further back. Though at least this gives her time to effectively get back upon her feet once again.

It will be several more seconds before Sakaki will see out through that eye again. The tingling letting her know that her body is rapidly at work regenerating it. Already she begins to quickly make out shapes through it. In the meantime, the Hunter tries to lock blades with her and run his blade down her own to gash her forearms and make her drop her sword. Sakaki uses this to her advantage as she swiftly does a three sixty to slash him. It's a dangerous maneuver because her torso is now open once again. Yet she manages to gash him across his eyes, effectively putting them out. By now, her eye is back to normal.

In that instance, the Hunter does a three sixty and lashes out blindly with his blade. Then does another. And another. And another still. Effectively spinning around. It's not a reckless spin but an actually well-controlled one instead. And he is fast. So fast, in fact, that he does a few revolutions per second with his sword. His speed is due to his amplified strength, as his body seems much lighter to himself.

He manages to slash Sakaki several times up and down her side from shoulder to leg. His blows powerful as she struggles to stay upon her feet. But another slash sends her flying several feet backward, where she lands horizontally, fortunate that her now gashed arm had been still down or he could have effectively vanquished her without needing to freeze her in the first place. For a moment, she is stunned from the immensely powerful blows of his blade. Her leg and arm now sporting deep gashes down to the bone, rendering them temporarily useless. Even though they make the telltale tingling, they will still be useless for ten seconds or so.

The Hunter still keeps spinning like a whirling dervish. His speed and grace beyond what any mortal can attempt. Even though he wobbles around haphazardly, he manages to remain within a tight circle. It would have been impossible for Sakaki to attempt freezing him. She staggers to her feet, unable to use her arm and leg effectively just yet, as she watches him spin. Clearly, he is buying time for his eyes to fully regenerate. Good, at least she will be able to do the same thing for herself. Each second seems like an hour to her as her injuries cannot disappear fast enough. Any moment now.

Finally the tingling stops. At that very moment, the Hunter spins gracefully into a quick stop with a couple more flurries of his sword to insure that Sakaki makes no attempt to freeze him. He now looks at Sakaki through new eyes as he arises. Bloody eye fluid glistens underneath them in the light of the full moon.

"Clever move," the Hunter simply said.

They clash once more. This time the Hunter quickly does a three sixty in the blink of an eye to slash at her. Only he instead dives low, attempting to slash her across the knees. Sakaki jumps up in time as his blade passes within a fingernail's thickness of the soles of her sneakers. The Hunter quickly capitalizes by stopping halfway through his three sixty, turning it into a one eighty instead and rises to stab past her defensive position. She quickly lowers her sword while slashing both of his forearms, causing him to pull back. Then she immediately tries to plunge her blade through his chest. But he proves faster as he jumps to one side, twisting himself, making her blade stab through both his forearms instead, causing him to drop his sword.

The Hunter stops, not because he had been stabbed through the torso but because he can no longer continue the fight. Sakaki quickly withdraws her blade and now presses the tip against his ribs, breaking cloth and skin.

"You have me," the Hunter said stoically as his hands hang down by his side while straightening to face her and looking her in the eyes. "You are the very first opponent to have made me drop my sword. It is clearly Allah's will that I do so."

Sakaki feels a touch of bewilderment, and along with it, pride. Then before she can react, the Hunter grabs the blade with both hands and keeps a firm grip. His little speech having given him enough time for his forearms to regenerate enough so that he can effectively use them once again.

Sakaki lets go as she leaps backwards while reaching behind for Don's sword. She curses herself for having gloated inwardly. It was just like Don had once told her: all it takes is just one second for the other to get the upper hand.

The Hunter quickly turns the blade around to grab the pommel then lunges at her without casting an aura over the katana. Sakaki has her blade almost out now. But it's too little too late as he now stabs her deeply through her torso, feeling the blade glide over bone while her feet touches the ground, effectively geo-locking her.

The Hunter next faces her as he now holds up three fingers.

"Strike three," he said casually now, more chilling than before, then winds up with the katana like a baseball bat. "You're out."

Her entire life once again flashes before her eyes. This time more intently as it is now truly over for her. Memories of her time in high school, making friends with Chiyo-chan and the others. Their time at her Summer House. Going to Okinawa and meeting Maya, who in turn found his way to her and saved her from being seriously injured by Kamineko and the other cats. Her and her friends celebrating their graduation together and eventually having to go off on their separate ways.

The most prominent one of all was the day Chiyo-chan had to leave for America. . . .

_. . . .Sakaki, Yomi, Tomo, Kagura, Osaka, Yukari, Nyamo, and even Kaori are there at Narita Airport to see Chiyo-chan off. Chiyo-chan has a small tote bag over her shoulder. Her parents stand to one side of her._

_"We're going to miss you, Chiyo-chan," Nyamo said with a mixed feeling of pride and sorrow as she kneels to be eye level with her._

_"I'll miss all of you too," Chiyo-chan said on the verge of tears._

_"Hey, hey," Tomo said as she too seems to be on the verge of crying while clasping Chiyo's shoulder. "You'll be back."_

_"That's right," Kagura said triumphantly as her tone cracked a bit. "And when you do, we'll all be here to greet you." The others agree._

_Tears flow down Chiyo-chan's face. "Oh . . . you guys . . . are the best friends . . . anyone . . . can ever have!" And she starts crying._

_"We better make our goodbyes before she has to go," Nyamo said as she too is on the verge of tears. She hugs Chiyo-chan, whispering goodbye. Next it's Tomo. Then Yomi. Then Kagura. Then Osaka, who then adds to be careful of kidnappers, causing Tomo to smack her in the back of the head._

_Next it's Yukari, who had to be prodded into doing so by Nyamo._

_"I'm gonna miss you," Yukari quickly whispered into her ear._

_Kaori also gives her a hug and wishes her well. Finally, it's Sakaki's turn. And her hug lasts the longest and is the warmest of them all as tears flow down her face too._

_"Maya will miss you too," Sakaki whispered._

_Chiyo-chan's parents also give Chiyo a hug and kiss. Once the hugs are finished, the announcement for boarding come in regards to Chiyo-chan's flight. She turns to her friends one more time, then gives a bow, which they return in kind, before walking away to enter the gate. They stand around to watch the plane leave._

_"See you soon, Chiyo-chan," Sakaki whispered as she watches the plane leaving with the others. "And thank you."_

. . . .It was shortly after seeing Chiyo-chan off when they all went their separate ways. Yet all would keep in touch. Two years went by and Chiyo-chan returned. It was the week before Sakaki turned into an immortal that all eight of them greeted her at the Narita Airport once again. . . .

_"She should be coming through that gate any second now," Yomi said._

_"I can't believe it's been two years already," Osaka said._

_"I told you she'd return someday," Tomo said._

_"And that we'd all be here to greet her," Kagura added._

_They soon see a familiar-looking little girl coming through the Arrival Gate. But she's a little taller, older, and more filled out. She now looks more pretty than cute, and now wears her hair down._

_"Wow, she filled out a bit," Nyamo said._

_"I guess it's from living in America," Yukari said._

_"It looks like she got rid of them evil pigtails once and for all," Osaka said earnestly, though dreamily._

_When Chiyo-chan arrives to greet them, Sakaki is the first to hug and welcome her back. Then each in turn hug her, expressing their gratitude for her return._

_"Did you make any friends in America, Chiyo-chan?" Kaori asked her._

_"Yes I did. But I never stopped thinking of you guys."_

_"Your voice is a little different now," Sakaki mused. "You sound a little more mature."_

_"So tell us," Tomo said eagerly. "What's it like in America?"_

_"I'll tell you everything when we get back to my home."_

. . . .That is when Sakaki's train of thought is broken by the sound of gunshot filling the air. The Hunter's head snaps forward, causing his hat to come off. He turns to face the shooter and is confronted by the sight of an old Caucasian man with white fringed hair holding a shotgun.

Ninety-year-old Jonathan Childs lives nearby and awoke to the constant clanging of metal outside. It continued on and being of a curious sort he got up and put his glasses on and opened his window to listen intently. Off in the distance and with a full moon to give him light, he swore he watched two people fighting with something. They are still too far away for him to get a good look at and he went to get his binoculars. Afterwards, he returned and looked through them at the distant scene and received the shock of his life.

It's over two people fighting with swords!

For a moment, he thought it to be a sparing match. Yet why are they doing that at night? And from the looks of it, it's a serious match too. Almost as if . . . each are trying to kill the other!

Jonathan frowned and put his binoculars down. He then got dressed and shuffled off to get his twelve gauge shotgun and loaded it with buckshot shells. At his age, he has nothing to lose. Soon, he is out the door, taking a moment to cock the gun and shuffled off once again to confront a possible murderer.

Once he got close enough, he saw that one of them, a man, is now back on to him stabbing the other through. With a grimace he raised his gun and took careful aim just as the man is about to decapitate the other, then fired, hitting the man in the back of the head.

But the man quickly turned to face Jonothan, looking annoyed.

"Get lost, old man!" The Hunter snapped. "This doesn't concern you!"

Jonathan lowers his gun and gapes in horror. Was it a trick of the moonlight!? Dementia setting in!? Or both!? Because that man had reacted no more intently than if he had been hit in the back of the head with a sponge ball!

The Hunter just stands there before looking back to Sakaki, who is still helpless. He has no time for this and quickly raises his sword once again. In a panic, Jonathan aims once again and fires. This time hitting the Hunter in the neck. It was a shot that would have taken his head off if he had been frozen instead. And again, the Hunter merely gets annoyed as his moment of concentration got broken once again. He now feels tempted to kill that old man.

Jonathan now gapes with utmost horror and drops his gun as he falls to the ground, his heart pounding hard. This is no trick of the moonlight nor dementia setting in!

"Wha-What in God's name are you!?" He rasped.

The Hunter takes Jonathan's moment of helplessness to finally finish off Sakaki as he quickly spins around to chop through her neck.

Just as Don's sword bursts through his back, without an aura cast over it.

Sakaki stands there for a couple of seconds as his blade had cut deeply through her neck. She can feel it against her spinal column, which is what actually stopped the blade in the first place. Already it's tingling.

With her strength now augmented to its limit and seemingly beyond, she quickly dislodges herself from his sword (her own exactly) while extracting her own. His being geo-locked prevents him from easily falling over. A bit of blood gushed out of her now gaping wound and her head is tilted to one side as the muscles had been severed. The gushing blood stops almost instantly as the tingling continues. Although quickly, but not quickly enough for her comfort, the wound disappears as well as her head begins tilting back into its proper position once again.

Yet she ignores this as she glances at her blade to see if it's in its proper position and casts an aura over it. She chops the Hunter's arm off up almost to his shoulder so as to get it out of the way. His severed arm instantly vanishes as katana and a piece of his sleeve fall to the ground. Each second she is not using to chop through his neck brings him closer to unfreezing. The Hunter is now just a few seconds away from recovering.

But Sakaki is immediately back in front of him as she winds up and swings at his neck. Again with all of the strength she can will forth while focusing intently upon the opposite side of his neck. Any second now he will unfreeze and successfully stop her.

Except her sword cuts through the Hunter's entire neck like a hot knife through warm butter, making him vanish in an instance as his clothing now falls.

In that instance, Sakaki feels overwhelmed from both relief and from what can only be best described as an ocean of essence entering her being, causing her to drop her sword and fall to her knees. This time her knowledge seems incredibly easy to her, as she is now even more intelligent than even Chiyo-chan used to be. Her memories are as sharp as if they had only happened a second ago, including her memories of when she began crawling! Her perceptions upon reality are more than razor sharp.

She opens her eyes and looks down at what the Hunter had been wearing. Her relief now so intense that she begins crying. She has now avenged Don, and every other immortal out there who didn't deserve to die by his hand.

Sakaki looks down at herself to see that her clothes are gashed, with her blood soaking spots here and there. Then she slowly looks over at the old man and stands as the wound in her neck is now completely gone. He has a look of utmost awe.

"Wha-What's ha-happening!?" He practically shrieked. "Wha-What are-?"

He begins choking and gagging as he clutches at his chest. Sakaki drops her sword as she hurries to him. She holds him but he tries to get away from her.

Sakaki is about to urge him to calm down until it comes to her. He is an eyewitness. She feels so guilty about allowing him to die like this, yet he is old though and unable to handle the shock of seeing two immortals, whom he is obviously ignorant about. What makes it even more difficult for her is that he had just saved her life, and is now causing him to die.

She continues to hold him as he gets weaker and his struggles begin to cease. Finally, he falls silent and gives one more croak as he goes still. His head slumping to the side with eyes and mouth open in faint shock. Already, Sakaki sees the light of life fading from his eyes. Gently, she reaches up and attempts to close his eyes and mouth as best she can. What to do with him next? If someone finds him out here the next morning, there will be tongues wagging. And that shotgun had to have already awakened some people nearby.

Then it comes to her that he must live close by if he came all the way out here to confront the Hunter. Augmenting her strength a bit, Sakaki stands as she carries Jonathan with one arm while holding his shotgun with the other. Even though her strength is not augmented up to full, he might as well be a ragdoll to her now.

She gets a feeling to walk in the direction she now faces and does so. She arrives at a house, seemingly the only house nearby. That has to be his house and goes up to the door with him. She tries the handle to find it unlocked. But what if somebody else is in there? No, he was living alone or else somebody would have come with him.

Sakaki enters and searches for his bedroom before finding it. She undresses him and sets him down in his bed and covers him up. Before leaving, she had been certain to put his things away in their proper places, or so that she believed are their proper places. Taking one more look at the now dead man, she says a silent prayer and leaves, being certain to lock the door behind her.

She returns to the spot where she had successfully vanquished the Hunter. She feels so powerful now, so smart, so enhanced. Then she remembers what had happened when she thought that she had that moment to finally vanquish him. Only to have it used against her because she took that instance to gloat, instead of trying to freeze him as quickly as possible. Pride is something that she will have to work very hard to keep in check or else she might wind up no better than the Hunter.

A brief glance to the eastern horizon shows the tendrils of dawn. Sakaki next goes about doing the things that need to be done.

The sun is now minutes away from rising and this time Sakaki is back where she had vanquished the Hunter, burning his belongings, along with her shredded clothing as she is now wearing another pair. She found a rental car he was using, just parked a little way from the fire and checked through his belongings. There was very little to be found as the Hunter lived a strictly nomadic lifestyle. He too has a bank card and she had checked it out at an ATM back at the hotel to discover that it has several hundred thousand dollars in it, after figuring out his pin number that is: 0622. Not that it was a surprise really, since it's after the year that Mohammad had fled Mecca, thus marking the beginning of the Muslim calendar.

She still finds it very odd that he had actually spent his near fourteen hundred years perpetually wandering all over the world looking for generally non-Muslim immortals to vanquish. Although it did enable him to vanquish one hundred of them in the process.

Sakaki examines the Hunter's sword closely, with the scabbard nearby as it's still in the car. She can certainly rip it into a thousand pieces like paper, now that her strength can be augmented to such proportions. Only it seems a tragedy to destroy such a beautiful sword. It's certainly not evil, just its owner. Still, she wanted to be rid of it.

She got it. Any museum might love to have such an item mysteriously donated to them (provided it's that old in the first place). With this in mind, she stands to watch the sun rise. The Hunter proved right once again. Only one of them now lives to see it rise again.

Sakaki now comes to the realization that it's all over. Her reason for traveling. She feels relieved that a burden has been removed from her shoulders, while at the same time so empty inside now. What purpose does she have now? She will have to do what the other immortals do. Wander then settle, wander once again, then settle. Each and every time changing her name and hoping that nobody remembers her from long ago.

As for those other immortals, they are out there (with a now newly-minted immortal male amongst them). Someday somewhere she will cross paths with one of them. Chances are they might try to vanquish her for her essence. And she must now be the strongest of the immortals. This will make her a very tempting target. Someday, one of them just might be successful and vanquish her, taking this enormous amount of essence she now possesses.

Perhaps . . . perhaps she should just let them take it. Having to live forever, only to move and hide for it.

No, she is an immortal and she must accept it. Just like Don, the Hunter, and Aria did. When the Hunter had stabbed her for the last time, she felt regret that it was going to end like this. Besides, there must be other immortals who also don't deserve to be even such, so they shouldn't be allowed to have this essence.

Sakaki ambles off toward Rugby. For now, she deserves to relax. She earned it. Then next it's off to somewhere she can settle down, taking on an identity and make a new life for herself. Before having to shed it again years later to move somewhere else and do the same thing once again. Then again. And again. And again still.

Forever.


	19. Epilogue

The sun is setting behind majestic snow-capped mountains that tower before the ocean as waves splash against a cliff with a highway overlooking it. The sky is mostly overcast as red and orange sunlight filters through the layered spaces in the clouds. A mild wind blows from the ocean, carrying the smell of brine.

Up above that highway is a lookout. Sakaki stands near its ledge, staring down at that highway. She is wearing a long black vinyl trenchcoat that hangs open to reveal a powder blue T-shirt with a pink kitten on it, along with her wedding rings as they now hang from a pink chain this time. She is also wearing blue jeans and black shoes.

The wind is blowing her now waist-length hair back as it's kept trimmed to there. Today, she is one hundred and fifty years immortal (or one hundred and seventy years old). Everyone she had ever known, or met during that fateful year, is now long dead. Her eyes bear the look of someone having seen and experienced too many things for someone "apparently" so young. Of wisdom earned and suffered for. And for which she did.

Within her trenchcoat, she still carries the same katana that once belonged to Aria Martel. As for Don's sword, she had since retired it after vanquishing the Hunter with it. She keeps it under glass in an oak case. As for the Hunter's scimitar, she had secretly donated it to the Smithsonian Museum shortly after vanquishing him. Where it still is to this day because it had been appraised to be five hundred years old. As an afterthought for donating the scimitar, she had Don's sword appraised and discovered it to be fifty years old (making it two hundred years old this year).

It has been a week since she returned to Japan. The last time she was in her native country was when she turned into an immortal. This was the place where Don had stood when she turned the moment she rode by, then sensed him from down there. The highway is now wider, by two lanes as the side of the hill had been blasted away to make more room, so it's not literally the same spot Don had been standing on. The cement boundary that was suppose to have prevented their van from going over is unchanged. Each and every time a vehicle drove by, she imagines that any second now, she's about to sense someone turning into an immortal. Just as Don had done as he had once told her. She also imagines that one of those vehicles is about to go off the cliff in the same freakish manner that had happened to her and her friends.

During her absence from this country, she had traveled everywhere else across the world, taking on new identities and settling down for a while. Only having to move on years later and shed that identity for a new one. She took on various occupations. A veterinarian, florist, stuffed animal shop owner, and cycled back through. During those years, she accrued quite a nest egg of one million dollars. So far, no one had figured out her secret, simply because she never allowed anyone to get close to her. Then there were all of the changes in the world that she had bore witness to. So many changes. Changes that she thought she would have never lived to see. And more to come.

Throughout it all, the loneliness was always there in the background. Never having to share her life with anyone, especially with another man. For the time always came when she had to move on as the people around her began growing old.

She is yet to cross paths with another immortal. After all, in the fourteen hundred years that Don had lived, he only met six immortals (herself being the fifth one and the Hunter the sixth).

This also makes her think about the possibility of encountering a newly-minted immortal and helping them, just as Don had done for her. She might teach them sword skills and guide them through a tumultuous time in their life. Perhaps even fall in love with them, if they are a man. And perhaps . . . just perhaps . . . she might even be vanquished in combat against another immortal, in front of her protégé.

Then again, maybe not. But meeting another is only a matter of time.

Now that she is back in Japan, she is Sakaki Reiko once again. And it's to be here that she will stay longer than the average ten years in any given place. One of the things that she had done upon her return was to check out how much things had changed. The cities upon Honshu has since been welded into one huge super-megalopolis that rings the entire island. Yet the old traditional castles and temples still survive and are maintained.

But some things are gone, with something different in their places. Her old high school is gone as a new one had been built there, complete with a new name. The home that she had attended high school from; both of Chiyo-chan's homes; the homes of her friends. All gone. Yet the apartment building where she once stayed before turning is still there.

The cemeteries haven't changed either and she visited the family tomb where her family's ashes are entombed. Both of her parents having been dead for over a hundred years, with her mother being the most recent at ninety years ago. Both of them through natural causes. They had another child before then, a boy named Kenta, who is now entombed there. But not before he had his own family as well. Today, she is at least a great great great great-aunt to the current generation. Unbeknownst to them, of course. Sakaki wished for a place for herself in the family tomb, but understands that will never be possible.

Sakaki had also visited the family tombs of her friends, with the Mihama tomb being visited the last of all. There were times when she had dreamed about her friends. Sometimes they were pleasant and sometimes they were nightmares. They included Maya too.

As for Maya, Sakaki had been trying to learn of what had happened to his body. But that will remain forever unknown as she did not find any shred of news concerning his fate after he drowned. She did visit Iriomote Jima to see if maybe, just maybe, he had been stuffed and mounted to be put on display at their information center. He had a distinctive appearance that could best be described as a perpetually lazy expression. But the ones that she had come across, and everywhere else in Japan that had a stuffed and mounted Yamamaya on display, did not bear such an appearance.

Furthermore, she is saddened to learn that the Yamamaya are now officially extinct, with the last full-blooded one having died fifty years ago. Their bloodline now existing only through feral cats. Which in turn made it thinner with each generation. As for the cats, she is yet to come across another that might accept her like Maya had done.

On a whim, she researched on what happened to Kimura-sensai. While she didn't find out how intently he mourned for Kaori (something that he would have doubtlessly done) she did learn the following things about him.

He retired from teaching at the age of eighty and lived for another twenty-five years, before dying at the age of one hundred and five. Not once had he ever got into trouble with the law for his love of high school girls, which stayed with him to his dying days. His wife died a month after him. As for their daughter, Miho, she attended and graduated from the very same high school that she and her friends had graduated from. Upon finding a picture of her, Sakaki was stunned to see that Miho looked exactly like herself. As if she had been her long lost twin sister.

Miho went on to become a high school teacher there, teaching Classics. And just like her father, she made it well known that she liked high school girls too, as she was a lesbian.

That part made Sakaki shudder. And still, she can't help but feel a touch of disappointment. It's for Kaori. If only she had skipped out on their trip to the summer home, she just might have ended up finding love. Nonetheless, Miho continued teaching at that high school and became involved in a deep and lasting relationship with one of her former students (that was just after said student had graduated of course). Yet that still didn't cool Miho's desire toward high school girls. That still didn't prevent them from raising a family of a boy and girl together. She retired the year Kiyohiko Azuma High School was torn down, fifty years ago.

Miho's lover died the following year, yet Miho lived on. She only died thirty years ago, having been the oldest person in the world at one hundred and thirty years of age.

Sakaki next takes notice of a cloud up in the sky before her. She remembers a cloud just like that back in high school. Ah, she can remember that moment as clearly as if it had happened only a second ago. That cloud. The one that Osaka had said that it was like it was pulling them in.

Sakaki suddenly finds herself standing within that cloud. It feels soft and fluffy, just like the one she had been inside of with her friends. That is when someone takes form out of the cloud.

"Don-kun!" She gasped as tears flow down her face and runs over to hug him tightly and kiss him tenderly. "I've missed you!"

"There's no need to miss me," he whispered. "I'll always live inside you."

They kissed deeply once again and Sakaki discovers that they are both stark naked. They lie upon the cloud and make love. Time seems not to matter here.

When they become exhausted from their intense lovemaking, they cuddle together.

"Remember when you woke up in my bed naked?" Don whispered as he presses his lips against her ear.

"I was so frightened," Sakaki sighed. "I was even more frightened of what I had become."

"And now you're no longer frightened. You have that look about you."

"It has been so hard for me," Sakaki gasped, sorrow tinging her tone. "Having to keep everyone away at arms' length. Nobody has yet to discover what I am."

"At least you're now with someone who understands."

"I wish that we could lie together like this forever."

"But we do have forever, Sakaki. Even if it's not in the manner you wish it to be."

That is when Don rises to stand over Sakaki.

"Don-kun?" Sakaki asked tentatively.

"Sakaki-chan," he hushed. "I love you." His voice hangs in the air and fades as he starts losing shape to become a part of the cloud once again.

"Don-kun!" Sakaki gasped as she rushes to her feet while reaching out for him.

"Sakaki-san!" A familiar childlike voice called to her.

She looks to see nine shapes taking form out of the cloud as they walk up to her. First comes Chiyo-chan, looking as she did the day they first met with her hair up in pigtails. Then comes Yomi, followed closely by Tomo, Kagura, Osaka, Kaori, Yukari, and Nyamo. Maya is next. They are all smiling and happy to see Sakaki, who curls in on herself to hide her nudity, only to discover that she is fully clothed once again.

"You finally came, Sakaki-san," Chiyo-chan chirped cutely.

"We've been expecting you," Kagura said.

"I-I'm sorry that it took so long," Sakaki gasped as she gets back up.

"Don't worry about it," Kaori said. "All that matters is that you're here. We have all the time in the world. Now let's get reacquainted."

It seems an eternity for Sakaki within that serene twilight-filled cloud. She runs with her friends, laughing and hugging them. Flying around. Throwing balls of clouds at them. Wrestling even. Yukari and Nyamo join in. Much laughter and warmth permeate the air. Maya is snuggled and cuddled as he mews and licks Sakaki. They all sit in a circle talking about old times, with Sakaki telling them of her adventures across the world.

"We're immortal too, you know," Osaka said dreamily.

"And like you," Yukari added, "we'll never grow old either."

"B-But you're all dead!" Sakaki gasped.

"They're right, Sakaki," Kaori said. "And it's all because of you.

"M-Me!?"

"Yes, you," Yomi answered. "Because you remember us."

"For as long as you remember us, we'll always be with you," Tomo said.

"Always," Kagura said. "Because we're friends."

"For now and forever," Nyamo added.

"And all because you love us," Chiyo-chan said.

Sakaki's eyes sting with tears as her face scrunches up. They were the most beautiful words they had ever said. She is beside herself with joy. Yet it hurt, because none of this is real.

"Sakaki, we soon have to go," Chiyo-chan said on a sad tone.

"I don't want any of you to leave," Sakaki sobbed.

"We won't be gone," Chiyo-chan said softly as she hugs her. "We'll always be inside of you."

They all agree and each take their turn to hug Sakaki, who next picks up Maya and hugs him. He snuggles into her and mews then licks her before she sets him back down once again. Chiyo-chan is the last one of all to be hugged.

They all back away from Sakaki as they stand side-by-side. Their smiles filling her with a warm and creamy feeling that seem to flow from her heart. Then from out of nowhere, Sakaki quickly and gracefully whips out her katana and holds the blade close to her face, vertically, twisting her wrist forward to flatten it against her line of vision. It's her way of saying goodbye.

"For now and forever," Sakaki intoned proudly, yet with a crack in her voice as tears flow down her cheeks.

"For now and forever," the rest happily intoned in reply as they wave at her.

Sakaki slowly spreads her arm out with her sword still held vertically. They continue waving as one-by-one their shapes begin to dissipate. Chiyo-chan is the last one of all as her giggling hangs in the air and fades away.

That is when Sakaki discovers that she is staring up at that cloud from down on the ground. Twilight has now grown dimmer; though the layered cloud seems to have a red, orange, and yellow glow to it. Already she can see the crude shapes of her friends losing form and are gone once again. Tears continue to stream down her face and she sheathes her sword into her trenchcoat. She is alone once again.

But they were right. They are immortal now, and it's all because of her. For as long as she loves them, she will remember them. And she will have no problem remembering them now, given that she now possesses a superhumanly sharp memory. Like herself, they will always remain young. Even more so than her since they will also remain mentally youthful as well. Even if she is to live to bear witness to the death of the universe, she will always remember them as they were when they still lived. She will still miss them though.

"For now and forever," Sakaki whispered as she wipes away her tears, then turns and walks away.

* * *

**Note:**

**Japanese cemeteries differ from Western ones. Almost all Japanese are cremated and their ashes are entombed in family tombs, instead of individually-marked graves.**


End file.
